The Game
by Red Horseman
Summary: Asuka and Shinji meet their co-conspirators and learn why their lives have been hell.
1. Prey

Started May 6, 2001   
Finished May 21, 2001  
  
As usual I don't have any claim to EVA or its characters. Just borrowing   
them for the story.  
  
The Game: Prey  
Red Horseman   
  
There is no hunting like the hunting of  
man, and those who have hunted armed men  
long enough and liked it, never care for  
anything else thereafter  
-Ernest Hemmingway  
  
* * * * *  
  
The weather suited the dark man as he threaded his way through the crowd.   
The cold, overcast day always made the hunt more enjoyable and this hunt  
would be one of the best. For six months he had been tracking the prey as  
they moved from city to city. He always read the newspapers and watched  
specific message boards for anything. The death of one of his competitors  
had led him to this city in northern Japan. What made him come here was   
that there had been multiple blood types at the crime scene. So one or both  
of the bounties was wounded and they wouldn't move until they were healed.   
  
All this did not matter as the hunter focused on a tall, young man a  
block ahead of him. He had stumbled upon him purely by luck and he wasn't  
going to lose him. The crowded streets and low lighting made it difficult  
not to lose him, but the hunter was skilled in his trade. The man was easy  
to keep track of because his head was in constant motion, looking from side   
to side in windows to spot a potential trail. Curling his hands the hunter  
tried to keep his eagerness under control.  
  
"Damn it." A rush of people caused him to momentarily lose track of the  
man. As the hunter stood there he looked at the surroundings for any closing  
doors or loitering people who had not been there before. The man smiled as  
he saw an alleyway right around where the bounty disappeared. A weak attempt  
at evasion and the mark of an amateur thought the hunter. He had been hoping   
for more of a challenge from this person.  
  
Reaching into his jacket he pulled out a silenced, semi-automatic pistol.   
The conditions of the bounty were to keep them alive and relatively intact.  
A shot to the knee and shoulder would incapacitate the man while the bounty  
hunter went after his companion. Putting his back against the wall the hunter   
quickly slid into the alleyway.  
  
"What the?" The alley was empty for almost two hundred feet, except for  
dumpsters. Looking back the way he had come confirmed there was no one  
waiting before he slowly advanced down the narrow confines. His pulse  
quickened as he approached the first dumpster, and quickly checked the  
opposite end.   
  
Clear.  
  
With his senses heightened, the hunter continued checking the few hiding  
spots. As he was nearing the middle of the alleyway his anger built. How had  
the bounty spotted him with the crowd and low lighting? He had successfully  
tracked many bounties over the years and never lost one. As the tension  
built and the sense of failing fell upon him the hunter stopped.  
  
"There's no need to get worked up," He told to himself. He was joyed at  
the thought of tracking down the two pilots. What had seemed an overly easy  
job, when he had spotted Shinji Ikari, was now becoming a challenge. He was  
so caught up in thought that he had let his guard down and had not heard the  
approaching footsteps.   
  
"Were you looking for me?" was the last thing the hunter heard as a  
barrel of a pistol crashed into the base of his skull.  
  
Shinji stood behind the man and watched him crumple to the ground in a  
noiseless heap. On his face was look of indifference and mild annoyance.  
Sighing lightly, he quickly got to work on the bounty hunter.  
  
Turning the guy over, Shinji went through his pockets for any money and  
credit cards. Also any kind of papers would be useful to the couple. Finally  
Shinji found a couple pairs of handcuffs, then cuffed the man's hands and  
legs together. Before leaving Shinji stuffed a gag into the man's mouth and  
dragged him over behind a dumpster, covering him with some garbage.  
  
Returning to the entrance of the alley, Shinji ran a hand through his  
hair and zipped up his jacket to hide the pistol. After he had calmed,  
Shinji picked up the supplies he had bought earlier and stepped out into  
traffic. He had some place to be and this had sidetracked him for close to  
an hour. Taking a few turns Shinji made sure there was no one else following  
him before making his way to the train station.  
  
Half an hour after boarding the train, Shinji was on the opposite side  
of the city, approaching their apartment. Shifting the bags onto one hand  
Shinji reached into his jacket to loosen the pistol. The dark hallway  
combined with the previous encounter had him more on edge then normal.  
Slowing his pace so his footsteps wouldn't mask anyone behind him, Shinji  
dug out the key card.  
  
Turning around, he looked down the hallway as he worked by touch to  
slide the card into the reader. Relaxing a little as the locks released, he  
quickly stepped through the door and closed it. Before leaving the small  
entranceway he reached into a hole in the wall and disabled the reader. He  
was rewarded by the sound of the regular locks and dead bolts engaging.  
Shinji stood there listening for any out of place noises, but the only thing  
that greeted him was the low noise of the television and city beyond the  
windows.  
  
"I'm home," He announced as he entered the small, modest apartment that  
they could barely afford.  
  
Shinji walked past the living area to the kitchen area to start putting   
away the supplies. Their stock was small since money was tight. A careless  
withdrawal or overspending could lead to a deadly situation. Keeping the  
necessary ingredients out for dinner, Shinji went to check on his companion  
but not before putting out something he had bought on a whim.  
  
Approaching the couch Shinji was a little worried. His companion and  
fellow survivor never slept through his arrival, but his worries were  
unjustified. The slow rise and fall of her chest reassured him but the trace  
of sweat on her face was not good. He stood there looking at her for a  
moment and reaffirmed his opinion of her.   
  
Shaking his head, Shinji bent over and slowly removed the pistol from  
her grip. She gripped it a little harder before giving it up to him. After  
she was disarmed, Shinji started to lift her shirt to check on her wound.  
He had barely started when a strong hand caught his wrist and stopped him.  
  
"Pervert! I always knew you were waiting to take advantage of me." With  
that Asuka sat up against the arm of the couch. She brushed some of her hair  
out of her face and yawned. Asuka had refused to dye her hair, instead  
settling for half its original length. Loosing the scowl, she looked up at  
Shinji and gave him a small smile.  
  
"You know I would never do anything like that to you." He was flustered  
at her statement. Though it was a joke to her, Shinji could never laugh at  
the thought. "You were just." He went silent for a moment, unable to look at  
her. "May I?"  
  
Asuka nodded and unabashedly removed her shirt so her bandage was  
exposed. Shinji blushed at the sight of Asuka in just her bra, but got over  
it. It was not the first time he had seen her like that. Kneeling to the  
floor, he slowly peeled the medical tape off and removed the slightly bloody  
bandages from Asuka's side. Shinji trembled at the sight of her damaged body  
and to save him no less.  
  
The knife cut was approximately eight inches long and traveled from front  
to back at an upward angle. As he looked at it, Shinji saw that the scab had  
broken open in a couple places. No matter how well he treated it a scar  
would result. What was not a good sign was the redness around the wound and  
the veins of red radiating away.  
  
"It's infected." It was a statement not a question. Asuka had felt the  
changes in temperature and a nauseous feeling had come over her a couple of  
days ago.  
  
Shinji looked at her and nodded, "We need you to see a doctor."  
  
"We can't afford one," Asuka sighed a little. "Also it would give away  
our location." She did not see Shinji start at that comment.  
  
"Well, how about you go take a bath."   
  
"A bath isn't going to cure this," She replied in a quiet, firm voice.  
They weren't arguing and she wouldn't escalate it. "I need some  
antibiotics."  
  
Smiling a little, Shinji reached down and pulled Asuka to her feet. The  
quickness of his action left Asuka lightheaded and she rested against him  
for support. She did not protest Shinji's actions or her own reaction since  
he was all she had left. Over the last years her anger towards him had been  
replaced by acceptance. They were working well as a team instead of against  
each other.   
  
"Just go take a bath, please," Shinji suggested to the young woman.  
"It'll relax you and I can cook dinner while you're in the tub."  
  
Asuka sighed and nodded at the firmness in his voice. Besides acceptance  
they had changed in other ways. Shinji had grown a spine and matured into a  
steady person. She on the other hand had lost the spoiled and arrogant  
attitude in dealing with him and others. Both had also picked up other  
skills ordinary people would not learn in school.  
  
"Did you pick up some clothes?" Shinji nodded a little. "What about the  
other stuff?" This time they both blushed and looked down.   
  
"Yes, and they're blue."   
  
"That's fine." A smirk appeared on Asuka's face. "At least you got away  
from plain white."  
  
With that Asuka laughed at his reaction and walked down the hall, only  
stopping to pick up the bag of clothes. Despite their situation it would be  
worse if she lost her sense of humor. It helped them stay out of depression,  
which could lead to mistakes.  
  
A few minutes later Asuka was immersed in her only pleasure, a hot bath.  
Five years of running had given her the chance to appreciate the little  
things in life. A hot bath, clothes, a good meal and someone close to her  
were all she needed now. As the hot water took the tension out of her body,  
Asuka's mind began to wander through random memories and thoughts. Closing  
her eyes, she leaned back, not forcing the memories or emotions down from  
her conscious mind. She had learned that lesson well, with her mother and   
vowed not to repeat it. The memories held no rhythm as they appeared and  
disappeared at random intervals, some stayed for a few minutes, and others  
were just fleeting. They varied from her childhood and the early days of the  
Angel war to more recent memories of bounty hunters. Others were   
bittersweet, like her first kiss with Shinji before the 12th and him saving  
her after the 8th.  
  
The painful memories also appeared and she did not shy away from them.  
Her multiple defeats and attempted suicide were just a couple. As all this  
was going through her mind, the water was turning colder just like her  
memories. The coldness and fear of hearing gunfire over the phone as Misato  
died in the purges, warning them to run. Asuka shuddered and opened her eyes  
at that memory. The feeling of losing someone she loved again had hit her  
hard, but then survival took over. Misato's death had hit Shinji even harder  
and a couple of times she had been tempted to leave him. Now she could never  
do such a thing to Shinji. If something happened to him she could never  
forgive herself.  
  
She frowned at the image in the mirror as she toweled herself off after  
the bath. She was very pale and thin compared to her oldself. Them running  
never gave her time to tan and the money situation meant meals were kept  
simple and small, usually carry-out. Another thing that Asuka did not like  
about her body was the accumulation of small scars. The knife wound was the  
most recent damage to her body. Scars crossed her arms and upper body, but  
they were small and hardly noticeable. The two of them had become adept at  
close quarter fighting. As she pulled on her clothes Asuka mused that she  
was not the only one with physical and emotional scars. Shinji had more than  
his fair share of them. Opening the door she headed to the kitchen and a  
regular cooked meal instead of carryout.  
  
"Still trying to court me, Shinji?" Asuka's quiet voice startled Shinji  
from his cooking.  
  
The sight of Asuka standing in the entrance of the hall greeted him as  
he turned around. She was still beautiful to him no matter what happened or   
how she looked. It was these thoughts that caused him to blush as he picked  
up the medical kit off of the counter. This time he sat in a chair to  
bandage the cut.  
  
"I never did thank you for saving me," Shinji stated as he looked up to  
her eyes and smiled. Asuka fidgeted under his gaze as she spoke.  
  
"It was nothing. You would have done the same for me."  
  
"I know, but it was very risky." Shinji applied some iodine to the wound  
and Asuka flinched. "He could have killed you."  
  
"Well he didn't," Asuka flatly replied. "Anyway, I owed you for all the  
times you saved me."  
  
He finished putting the bandage on and taped it before replying to that  
statement. "Is that the only reason?"  
  
"No."  
  
Shinji stopped in his actions and turned around. A look of hurt was on  
Asuka's face. It pained him to see her like that and because of him. Shinji  
felt ashamed because he knew it wasn't duty that caused Asuka to push him  
out of the way. He quickly shook his head and went back to getting dinner in  
order not to think about that. They both hardly breached that subject.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be." Asuka had put her shirt on and was setting the table. "You  
didn't answer my question."  
  
"A little." Shinji had a small smile on his face as he turned around and  
brought the soup over. "I know what you're going to say."  
  
"And that would be?" She was also smiling. On the table were two red  
roses.  
  
"It's too dangerous and could work against us." Both sighed at that.  
They had discussed that at best they could only have a working relationship,  
not a romantic one. So far it was working out decently. "They could use one  
of us against the other."   
  
"We both know that isn't true any more. Neither of us would allow the  
other to get hurt. Right?" Asuka asked his back as he retrieved the  
meal and drinks. "So what are the roses for?"  
  
"Our seventh year together."  
  
"Oh." She looked over at him. "We've been through so much together. When  
you met me did you ever think any of this would happen?"  
  
"No. I don't think either of us could have envisioned what we would go  
through with the Angels or us being on the run from SEELE."   
  
Both went silent at that, deciding to concentrate on dinner.  
Conversation had run out a long time ago and they talked about trivial  
things. Neither had attended school nor classes for years but taught  
themselves the necessary skills. Asuka put her education to work teaching  
Shinji as much as she could remember from college. Communicating with their  
friends was far and in between with the danger flowing both ways. Also  
nothing was currently happening with Hikari and Touji, or Kensuke so there  
wasn't any recent news and gossip to discuss. They knew Hikari was expecting  
and Touji was busy with the store they owned. Kensuke was in NERV and fed  
them reports when Asuka and Shinji could contact him.  
  
"Anyway I got something else for you." Shinji was the first to break the  
silence. Asuka looked up at that since both had agreed they couldn't buy  
gifts.  
  
"I thought we agreed on stuff like that."  
  
Shinji ignored her and went to cabinet next to the stove. It took him a  
few moments to retrieve what he had bought earlier in the day, but soon he  
turned around. Whatever he had retrieved Asuka couldn't see. Shinji sat back  
down and extended his hand that was closed around a bottle of some sort.  
When he opened his hand Asuka had to gasp in surprise.   
  
"How did you get that?" Asuka had to ask. Shinji's held two vials of  
medicine in his hand. As she read the labels Asuka saw they were the most  
potent antibiotics on the market. The black market charged outrageous prices  
to get this because it wasn't profitable, unlike the illegal drugs. To the  
people that needed it the drugs were a lifesaver and what she held in her  
hand was more than enough to kill the infection.   
  
"I hacked into the pharmacy using one of Kensuke's programs and doubled  
the prescription," Shinji stated to her.  
  
"Prescription?" Asuka noticed how Shinji had kept his long-sleeved shirt  
on instead of changing. She narrowed her eyes and asked the obvious. "What  
did you do?"  
  
"You needed the medicine so," Shinji sighed. He unbuttoned his sleeve  
and rolled it back. On his forearm was a long bandage that he was removing.  
Asuka saw the stitched up arm and the redness around the wound. Tears of  
anger came to her eyes.  
  
"Damn it Shinji. I take a knife in the side so you wouldn't get hurt  
and.." She trailed off unable to continue. Shinji reached across and gripped  
her hand. Looking up in surprise she saw him smile. He rarely touched her  
and the way he was holding her hand showed he was sincere.  
  
"It's not as bad as it looks. The cut looks infected but I used some of  
the effect make-up to dress it up. Then I went to an old doctor who stitched  
it up with no questions asked. So no problems," Shinji told her before  
rolling up his sleeve. Asuka could only shake her head in amazement at what  
Shinji had done. Again and again Shinji had show his ability to think on his  
feet and respond to any situation. A change from the shy quiet boy she had   
met years ago.  
  
"Fine just don't ever do anything like that again." She looked at him  
with clear eyes. "I don't need that kind of scare." Shinji nodded at that  
and they went back to eating quietly.  
  
Later the storm brought much needed moisture and relief from the heat to  
the city, but Asuka didn't care as she sat on a chair. She had cleaned up  
the small mess in the kitchen before retiring to the living area after  
dinner. Two capsules had been taken before Shinji told her to sleep first  
after they both watched a little television. Now she kept guard for any  
intruders or people that might have found them. It was an arrangement set up  
at the beginning of their flight.  
  
She looked over at her sleeping companion and smiled at how he looked.  
He always looked serious and worried while awake but once a sleep his  
features relaxed and he looked like trouble free young man. Asuka chuckled  
at that thought while she rubbed the silver bracelet on her wrist. She had  
woken to find a small box next to her. When she opened it she was shocked  
to find the bracelet inside. Shinji refused to explain how he had paid for  
it as his small income went to rent.  
  
Asuka had to smile sadly as she played with the bracelet. Despite their  
agreement not to get romantic it had been going on for some time if you knew  
where to look. The little looks, smiles and touches they had shared starting  
back at NERV had continued even in the most desperate of times. Neither  
really had any hopes of it ever getting better to where they could settle  
down to a normal life.  
  
Her eyes narrowed and her features hardened as Asuka thought that. She  
wanted a future free of running and knew Shinji wanted the same. Setting  
that dream in her mind Asuka ran through ideas for several hours debating  
the merits and feasibility of carrying them out. Finally just as the sun was  
rising she remembered an solution that suited their situation perfectly.  
  
Looking over at Shinji as she rose and started to the kitchen Asuka  
nodded to herself, promising to talk to Shinji about it. She would do  
nothing without his consent but hoped he would go along with it. A person  
had a right to dream and she wanted at least one of hers to be fulfilled.   
  
- - - - -  
They had been sitting eating with neither of them speaking. Like  
everything in their lives now duties were shared between the pair. Shinji  
cooked dinner while Asuka had breakfast. The same was with work in they  
both alternated workdays if at all. Asuka sat thinking of how to put forth  
her idea in a less direct method before he left again for the day.  
  
"Shinji," Asuka spoke before waiting for him to acknowledge her. "Have  
you ever thought of what it would be like to have a future?"  
  
"What do mean?" The question had come out of no where and surprised him.  
Neither of them had ever talked about the past or future, just concentrating  
on the present.  
  
"I mean." Asuka paused to eat a sausage off her plate. "A future without  
running from bounty hunters. Or worrying about the past." She looked down  
and blushed. "Getting married and having children. Being able to see our  
friends without worrying if we'll get caught or them getting in trouble."  
  
"I used to." Shinji stared at his plate. "When I first came to NERV I  
hoped father and I would be a family. That turned out false." Shinji looked  
up and blushed redder than Asuka. "A couple of times I thought about if I  
ever had the courage to ask you out what would happen." He shook his head  
sadly. "Now I just worry about living and that's not how I want to raise a  
child. But it's just a dream. A impossible dream that I wish could happen."  
  
"Good." Shinji looked up to see Asuka smiling at him and with fire in  
her eyes.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Last night I was thinking about that and realized I want the same."  
Asuka rested her arms on the table and leaned closer. "I want a future.  
NERV and EVA stole our childhoods from us and SEELE is stealing our futures.  
I'm tired of running, Shinji. I'm tired of others deciding my future for  
me."   
  
Her voice had become hard at the end and Shinji had to swallow at the  
hate evident in it. "But what can we do Asuka?"   
  
"There's a saying about our situation Shinji." Asuka smiled again, and  
it wasn't friendly. Shinji was nervous at how evil her smile looked but  
nodded for her to continue. Asuka's voice was low and deadly as she spoke.  
  
"It's time for the hunted to become the hunters."   
  
* * * * *  
  
Now I'm not sure if I have the saying correct since I can't remember  
where I read it.   
  
This will not become two people taking down SEELE, since that would not  
make a believable story. Asuka and Shinji will still be the focus of the  
story but help will find them. The purges and why Third Impact has not  
happened will be explained. Other things will also need to be explained so  
bear with me.  
  
C&C is always welcome.  
caspar@nervhq.org   



	2. Knowledge

Started May 27, 2001   
Finished June 17, 2001   
  
- - - - -  
  
There is no hunting like the hunting of  
man, and those who have hunted armed men  
long enough and liked it, never care for  
anything else thereafter.   
--Ernest Hemingway  
  
* * * * *   
  
The Game: Knowledge  
Chapter 2  
  
Red Horseman  
  
To the untrained eye the pair of young adults would seem at home in the  
crowd of businessmen and women. After all they easily threaded their way  
through the bustle, while talking on phones and carrying attaché cases. The  
black business suits were also the norm for their type and were not out of  
place. The lie would be exposed if a person watched the pair closely. They  
never separated from each other more than five feet and stayed on a path that  
went past several prominent companies. A closer inspection would spot the  
bulges under the pair's left arms that tailoring didn't cover up completely.  
After an hour of walking the pair stopped off at a small street-side restaurant.  
  
"So was that Kenji?" Shinji asked Asuka after they had ordered from the  
menu.   
  
He hadn't needed to change his appearance at all for their task but Asuka  
was another story. Asuka still stood out with her height, being four inches  
under six foot, while Shinji couldn't help but smile at her appearance. She had  
dyed her hair dark brown with auburn highlights in it, while her sky blue eyes  
were now hidden beneath gray contacts, in addition a pair of silver wire-  
rimmed glasses rested on her nose. The most striking effect was the makeup  
Asuka was wearing. The red lipstick and nail polish combined with a hint of  
blush on her cheeks made Asuka look different from her usual self, but when  
Shinji had commented on her looks Asuka had made a quiet remark about looking  
too much like her mother.  
  
"Yep," replied Asuka before she sipped at some water. "I can't believe  
that pervert is our contact. He bought up all my pictures back in school." She  
set her water down and gazed at him. "Did you spot anyone?"  
  
"Two stood out like the NERV security branch and I spotted others that  
might have been," Shinji reported. He wasn't cut out for this kind of stuff and  
had told Asuka that when she had first suggested it. He had been reluctant to  
take on an organization that had been running things from the shadows for years.  
But like Asuka he had grown tired of running and having no future, so here they  
were going after a former schoolmate that possibly could help them with  
obtaining certain items. "But with everyone dressed the same my imagination  
might have been playing tricks."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"Four NERV or SEELE agents that were so obvious they were meant as decoys.  
I also spotted a few others that seemed out of place." Shinji caught the quiet  
sigh from her. "Anyone that they think could help us probably has been under  
surveillance for a long time and that is even more true if they are also  
friends of Kensuke or Touji, even Hikari."   
  
"Are you sure we can pull this off Asuka?"  
  
"Yes. We need to do this Shinji." She smiled at him to reassure him. "And  
once we get over this initial hurdle it'll go smoother." What remained unsaid  
was that she -hoped- things went well.  
  
"So what time are we meeting him?" The answer was a couple minutes in  
waiting as the waitress approached with their orders.  
  
"About two hours after complete darkness." Asuka broke apart her  
chopsticks and took a bite before continuing. "It'll give us time to look  
around the neighborhood."  
  
At that Asuka went quiet and the two of them ate the meal they had ordered  
minutes ago. Since entering the restaurant neither had relaxed completely and  
the staggered seating meant that both avenues of approach were being watched.  
Coming into a large metropolitan area meant the risks of being recognized  
increased. Both their faces and physical descriptions had been aired and  
published throughout the world after they had been on the run for a year.  
Makeup and dye could only go so far in hiding their identities. Neither noticed  
a pair of men watching them nor the equipment they put away as they left.  
  
- - - -  
  
That night the pair approached a house outside the city that looked  
immaculate in it's appearance. Gone were the business suits and in their place  
were jeans and T-shirts with windbreakers to cover the pistols. They had sat  
on a hill a short distance away and had surveyed the crowded neighborhood  
through binoculars and had seen nothing out of place. No cars with tinted  
windows were in side streets or people loitering in the general vicinity.   
  
Walking along the wall Asuka and Shinji made their way to a gate and an  
intercom system. Looking around quickly Shinji knelt down and cupped his hands  
to boost Asuka over the gate. As soon as she was over, Asuka opened the gate  
from the inside and let him in. Shinji looked over at Asuka, who nodded and  
reached into her windbreaker and pulled out her pistol. Her position on the  
right of Shinji would allow her leg to hide it and gain her quicker entrance.  
  
Shinji glanced at her with a final worried look before reaching for the  
buzzer. Now would be the time to be taken if anyone were to be waiting, since  
the walled yard effectively trapped them. As the buzzer sounded the pair heard  
some noises as a person approached the door, it should be Kenji Higashi who  
would open the door. Swallowing Shinji tensed and prepared to do his duty,  
which they had worked out beforehand.  
  
"Can I help you?" A quiet male voice asked as the door opened. "How did  
you.."  
  
That was all the man was able to get out before Asuka slammed the door  
open. Shinji had had enough time to see that it was their contact before Asuka  
struck. She pushed him against the wall, with the pistol under Kenji's chin  
and an arm pressing against his chest with her weight, stopping him from  
moving. Staring Kenji in the eyes Asuka felt a little sympathy as she saw fear  
in his brown eyes. The closing of the front door signaled Shinji was in and  
Asuka saw him from the corner of her eye as he disappeared. The sounds of doors  
opening confirmed that Shinji was doing everything to the plan.  
  
"Come on, who are you guys? What'd I do?" Asuka cursed to herself as  
Kenji's questions showed that her attention had drifted.   
  
"Be quiet," stressed Asuka in a voice that expected compliance. Asuka  
didn't dare look at her watch to see how long Shinji was taking with his  
search.   
  
"It's clear." Shinji was still tense as he reported minutes later. "The  
house is empty, even the small attic."  
  
Asuka sighed and smiled a smile of relief at the news. For all her bravado  
and confidence she had been worried that hunters would be waiting for them.  
Stepping back from Kenji Asuka lowered her pistol, but didn't engage the safety,  
allowing him to step away from the wall. Kenji looked at the pair while he  
tried to stop shaking out of fear. Asuka knew that they weren't intimidating  
physically and so had opted for speed and surprise. Motioning with her head  
Asuka indicated that Kenji should take the lead. He nodded and led them to the  
kitchen where a kettle was steaming.  
  
"Look can you tell me what's going on?" Kenji asked as he poured three mugs  
of tea. He did it out of courtesy and needed it to calm his own nerves. "It  
doesn't look like you want to hurt or rob me so."  
  
"Some schoolmate you are Kenji." Asuka had taken the lead as was normal.  
"Can't even remember the most popular girl in school." A slight frown.  
"Anyways didn't Kensuke tell you we would show up?"  
  
"You are Asuka?" Kenji's eyes widen as she nodded. He then looked at  
Shinji. "Then you're Shinji." Shinji smiled.  
  
"Kensuke said you'd be showing up, but not when. Said I owed him a favor  
from school and that I couldn't turn it down." Getting over his shock Kenji  
was entering his business mode, the illegal one. "So what do the two most  
wanted people on the planet want from me?"  
  
Asuka leaned forward, elbows on the table with her hands folded in front of  
her. She smiled the same smile that she had shown Shinji when she had told him  
what she wanted to do. It had the same effect on Kenji as he swallowed and  
leaned away from Asuka.   
  
"You are going to help provide us with what we need." She paused, taking a  
sip of the tea. "Or you will find yourself out of business quickly when we  
leave."  
  
"Fine," stated Kenji. He was still in shock at seeing a virtual gold mine  
in his kitchen but knew he wouldn't be around to collect if he roused their  
suspicions. "So again I ask you what you need?"   
  
"A lot of stuff, but do you have a more secure place to talk."  
  
Kenji drained the last of his tea and stood up from the table. Again Asuka  
and Shinji took up position behind him as he walked off. Kenji led them down a  
hallway to the back of the house and stopped at a blank wall except for a light  
switch. The plate popped off, after Kenji touched a corner, to reveal a keypad  
into which Kenji punched a code. The trio waited until the muffled sound of  
bolts releasing was heard. A slight crack appeared and Kenji pushed the  
concealed door open to show an alcove with stairs. Asuka and Shinji shared a  
look at this but kept quiet.  
  
After closing the door Kenji started walking down the stairs to the  
subfloor. The sight that greeted the following pair was not what they had been  
expecting. Instead of a small dark, cold area the space was well lit and  
expansive, it was half the size of the house above them. The furniture and  
living area that took up a quarter of the space offset the array of computers  
and electronics. The other part was filled with weird combinations of items.  
Weapons were on racks next to filing cabinets and a wide variety of printers,  
printing presses and machining tools stood on tables.  
  
"What can I help you with now?" Kenji asked while booting up one of the  
computers. The others had text flowing across the screen that neither Asuka  
nor Shinji could guess at what they were doing.  
  
"The usual," explained Asuka as she walked around the space looking at  
different things. "Passports, IDs, visas, and any other false papers we can  
think of in different identities. Equipment such as guns and maybe lightweight  
body armor would work."   
  
She stopped and looked at Shinji, who slid his backpack off. Opening it he  
pulled out a square flat container.  
  
"We also need this decrypted."  
  
In his hand was a disc of some sort. They had found it at his aunt and  
uncle's house after they had left Tokyo-3. The house had been ransacked and his  
relatives killed, but the small hiding spot contained the disc, enough money to  
last months and some papers. Shinji had been grief stricken when he had walked  
in on the bodies and almost stopped, but Asuka being her usual self had to  
remind him they had to be quick or they would be caught. As he held out the  
disc the memories came back, clear as the day he had seen them.  
  
"This goes no farther than you," Shinji flatly told him.  
  
Kenji grinned at Shinji as he reached for the disc.  
  
"You can trust me."   
  
"Famous last words," interrupted Asuka. Shinji hadn't released the disc  
yet. "Trust is never given, only earned." Kenji sighed at hearing that.  
  
"Fine I promise that no one else will learn of this." He looked at the  
pair. "My suppliers will only know of my request not my customers, okay?"  
  
Shinji finally released the disc to Kenji's possession. Kenji placed the  
disc into the reader, waited a short time and whistled at what the initial  
assessment told him. Turning to the pair he smiled at the challenge in front  
of him.  
  
"This is going to take a while to crack so I hope you don't mind staying  
here a short time."  
  
"How long?" Asuka asked with a frown.  
  
"Worst case two weeks and it will take around a week to get all the  
documents you need. Any equipment is going to take longer, body armor a minimum  
of two weeks."  
  
"Fine."   
  
All Kenji did was nod before he got to work. He spent close to a half-hour  
typing instructions and modifying software on his computer before the task of  
decrypting the disc began. "What are your birthdays and those of your parents.  
Rei's also if you know." The pair did so and the numbers were inputted to the  
computer. "Any nicknames for the two of you and Rei plus full names of close  
friends or relatives."   
  
Again the pair gave the required information and answered following  
questions for almost ten minutes before Kenji started the program. He didn't  
explain anything, instead pulling out a notebook into which he started writing.  
  
"It must be an interesting story of what has happened to the both of you  
with the 1 billion yen bounty on each of your heads." The pair ignored that  
part instead each had split and was looking at different things. "It's amazing  
that you two even survived this long."  
  
"And why is that amazing?" Asuka tartly asked.  
  
"Well for one thing, you." Kenji spun around and pointed at Asuka. "You  
had spent a year catatonic, in rehabilitation and catching up with everyone.  
Also a lot of your drive had seemed to disappear back then, though you seem to  
have gotten it back. Did you know that those boys who dated you before were no  
longer interested in you? The devil had turned into a shallow image of herself.  
People were no longer afraid of you or didn't you wonder why more people picked  
on you. You became like Shinji at times, withdrawn." A moment passed as he  
wrote. "Also there was the fact that even after everything you still didn't  
like accepting help from anyone."  
  
"So I wasn't interested in those idiots," Asuka commented, not wanting to  
remember the times after her depressed state.  
  
"On the other hand, him." Kenji jerked a thumb in Shinji's direction. "He was  
the perfect example of depression. He just became indifferent to everything  
around him unless it concerned you or Rei. Didn't care what others said even  
when his friends stuck up for him. Everyone expected you to go off the deep end  
and kill yourself but you never did." He stared hard at Shinji. "You know how  
many potential girlfriends you lost because of your attitude. Not to mention  
that your interest in Asuka was obvious to everyone except her.   
  
"I didn't know." Shinji glanced over at Asuka and saw her shoot him a  
look. Kenji didn't notice and continued.  
  
"That's why I said it was amazing you two survived this long. The  
independent girl and the depressed boy, a mismatched pair if I ever saw one. A  
lot must have changed for the two of you to be working and living together."   
  
Kenji went silent and looked at the list he made before opening a book.  
Asuka walked over to Shinji and whispered in his ear, waiting for his  
acknowledgment. After receiving a nod she walked over to the washroom and  
entered. Shinji pulled up a chair and sat on Kenji's offside. This allowed him  
to watch the stairs and the man at the computer desk. Shinji waited quietly and  
looked in greater detail at the surrounding environment.  
  
"So how is she?" Came the quiet question after a few minutes of silence.  
  
"What?" Shinji rolled his eyes as he had expected the question. He had been  
asked that by Touji and Kensuke many times and it was an immature topic to him.   
  
"Asuka. How is she in bed?" Kenji turned around and was grinning.  
  
"Don't know," came the nonchalant answer. Seeing the look of disbelief from  
Kenji Shinji explained. "Sex has not been one of our top priorities. There is  
more to Asuka than her body, which all the boys could never understand."  
  
"But you've been with her for seven years," Kenji stated. "You've must have  
thought about it. Plus in the last five years you two must have shared a bed at  
some time."  
  
"Maybe or maybe not, I'm not going to say."  
  
"Have you seen her naked, at least. Asuka was the best looking girl in  
school so I think I'm justified in asking as would any guy." This last part had  
even more pleading in it then before. "She looks even better now. So come on  
you can tell me."  
  
"Just drop it will you Kenji. I hear enough of it from Touji and Kensuke."  
  
"But.."  
  
"Shinji's right," Asuka interrupted the conversation with a frown. "It is  
none of your business." She came to stand on the other side of Kenji. "How are  
your mom and sister?"  
  
"Dead." He spun around angrily. "SEELE killed off anyone that could be  
trouble. My family thought you two were our only hope and so were killed for  
being sympathetic. A lot of people died for either not going along with SEELE's  
plans or caring about the both of you."  
  
Again the space became quiet as neither party had anything to say after  
that matter. Shinji looked at Kenji with sad eyes knowing how he must feel  
about bringing up a hurtful subject. Looking at Asuka he saw a similar look on  
her face and he had to smile at her empathy for the man. Kenji didn't notice as  
he continued making notes and writing things down for some time. He finally  
left the pair stating that he had to get some sleep and do stuff for work.  
Before he left Kenji told them to stay in the basement in order not to draw  
attention.   
  
"I'm going to take a bath, okay." Asuka told Shinji after they had unpacked  
the little clothes they had brought.   
  
Shinji nodded and sat on the bed watching Asuka walk away and enter the  
bathroom, closing the door behind her. Sighing as he heard the water start  
Shinji opened his bag and pulled out two empty magazines along with a box of  
hollow points. Taking an empty clip he started thumbing rounds into it lost in  
the monotony of it. Pick up a round, feed it into the clip and repeat. Shinji  
kept doing this to keep his mind off the sounds of splashing water behind him.  
Soon the two empty clips were loaded and he started emptying the clip in his  
pistol and the spare.  
  
"Stop brooding will you," Asuka told him sharply.   
  
Shinji jerked his upwards and saw Asuka standing in front of him. Looking  
down again he saw that not only had he done his weapon's maintenance but also  
Asuka's. Smiling sheepishly at her Shinji grabbed the small first aid kit out  
of his bag and turned to Asuka. Her wound was healing quickly now that the  
infection was disappearing but they still had to watch it.   
  
"I wasn't brooding, okay." Shinji missed the look from Asuka as he quickly  
worked from experience.  
  
"Sure you weren't." Asuka pulled her shirt on and leaned over to look him  
in the eyes. Tapping him on the forehead she continued. "That's all you ever  
did back at Misato's and she let you get away with it. If you had a tape player  
and music now you would be laying on your back looking at the ceiling."  
  
"You saw me!"  
  
"I'm not stupid, of course I knew what you did. Ran away to your room when  
reality did something to you and you wanted to escape." She answered in a  
mocking tone to his statement.  
  
"And what did you do? Always yelling at me and mocking me then running to  
your room if it didn't go your way." Shinji shot back. The hurt look on Asuka's  
face stopped him.   
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."  
  
A look of worry crossed her face. Something was wrong with Shinji since he  
hadn't snapped back at her in months. "Haven't I shown that I'll listen to  
what you say. Am I not your friend?" She sat down next to him.  
  
"Of course you are." Shinji looked down from her gaze. "It's just things  
that I have to work out for myself. Sorry."  
  
"Okay," Asuka replied quietly. She spotted the lie and dropped the subject  
not wanting to push. As Shinji got up to shower he turned to her.  
  
"You think we can trust Kenji?"  
  
"I'd like to trust him but anything could happen. Remember Akane Shimizu?"  
Shinji shuddered at the name of the former NERV technician and friend. She had  
turned them in for greed and they barely escaped because they had spotted the  
trap. Akane had ended up dead in the ensuing firefight and escape. "We can only  
really trust each other. Sucks doesn't it?"  
  
Shinji frowned but nodded at her statement. Too much trust had almost cost  
them their freedom. Even Kensuke and Touji could be suspect his mind had told  
him many times. A shake of his head threw that thought away and again he looked  
at Asuka. "Can you take first watch?" A smile came to his lips. "I don't want  
to brood."  
  
"Sure."   
  
Shinji nodded and left Asuka to her own thoughts. When Shinji left the  
bathroom the lights were off, except for the glow from the computer screens and  
a desk lamp. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he spotted Asuka in a chair  
silhouetted by the light. Gone was the confident woman as her features were  
softened and relaxed. The perpetual young girl who had been forced to mature so  
early seemed to show through at times like these. The sad eyes, how Asuka  
absent-mindedly played with her hair, and the quiet melody coming from her  
lips. Shaking his head Shinji quickly got into bed not wanting to disturb her  
peace, not noticing a pair of blue eyes staring at him as he fell asleep.   
  
- - - -  
  
"So they've arrived?" An older man's voice issued from the phone a distance  
away.  
  
"Yes, sir. No problems were encountered at the house." A smile came to the  
soldier's lips. "They're really good at this stuff now."  
  
"Remember your job and make sure nothing happens. Those two need to remain  
free for now."  
  
"Understood, sir." The soldier heard the other person hang up and he did  
the same to return to watching the house.   
  
- - - -  
  
A week went by slowly for the pair as they waited for the program to do its  
job on the disc. During that time they stayed in the house but not in the  
basement as that would have been a disadvantage if anyone came. Instead they  
had kept guard in the living areas of the house and discussed what their plan  
of action would be once they received what they needed. What had come out was  
that they would have to wait until the disc was decrypted and hope it contained  
information to help them in their endeavor. Currently that was what they were  
waiting to find out.  
  
"Will you hurry up," Asuka exclaimed. The beeping in the background had  
been going on since noon and it was driving her crazy.  
  
"I thought you gained some patience," stated Kenji. He looked over at  
Shinji for support but all he did was smile. Sighing Kenji looked over the lines  
of text. "Okay looks like we hit the jackpot. No hidden codes or viruses and all  
files are accessible, though things could change."   
  
Despite his confidence Kenji ejected the disc and put it in a laptop that  
had the same program. The pair behind him waited nervously to see what  
information would present it self to them. Blinking in surprise as the media  
player responded to some instruction, Asuka and Shinji leaned forward in order  
not to miss anything. Though they had been expecting something like this it  
still caught them by surprise.  
  
"Hello Shinji," stated Gendo in a quiet voice. "I think you know what has  
happened if you have gained access to this disc. I'm not sure how you reacted  
to the news, whether in joy or sadness does not matter to me. You were always  
letting your emotions control your actions. At times it worked to my advantage  
while at other times you screwed up a lot of plans. Your mother always said  
that you would be an emotional person."  
  
"If you are looking for me to say that I love you or are proud to have you  
as a son you will have to be disappointed. I hardly know you and that was both  
our faults. Your dreams and wishes were invisible to me except that you wanted  
acceptance from me. I only cared about completing my goals and you never gained  
the courage to confront me or talk to me."   
  
A real smile crossed his lips. "Even your teenage love interest was known to  
me and if I had known about the real prophecies I would have used it against you.  
Don't get me wrong I did love you when your mother was alive but when she died."  
Gendo paused as if pained. "Again you know what happened."  
  
"Everything I have done since that day has been to be reunited with Yui and  
make us a family again. Many people have died at my orders and others were  
blackmailed to get their cooperation. I don't ask for forgiveness for my actions  
since you would not give it for many reasons. Mr. Suzuhara and Ms. Soryu, being  
a couple. Yes, those events were known and needed to happen to carry out my  
plans."   
  
Shinji looked over at Asuka and saw her go pale at the news of her rape.  
He also couldn't help but feel sick at the coldness of his father. "There is a  
lot that I had done in order for my plan to become real and during that time I  
have made enemies of some powerful people." A smirk appeared on for a moment.  
"They must have finally gotten tired of seeing who was master and whom was  
servant."   
  
"It is the nature of humans to question and explore the unknown. You will  
have to acknowledge the fact that many of your questions involving your mother,  
EVA, and myself will never be answered. You're an adult now and you must look  
forward instead of back, unlike me. You can't dwell on the past or it will consume  
you. If you want clarification ask Ms. Soryu about what happened to her and her  
past." Shinji was surprised that his father was stating that he would be with  
Asuka then realized it was just a lucky guess.  
  
"This disc has all the information I know about the members of SEELE and  
where they can be found. Also various bank accounts and caches are loaded onto  
this disc but that is for later. If Ms. Soryu is with you than the next part is  
for her while the third is for Rei, if she was able to escape."   
  
Gendo paused and Shinji thought that was the signal that his father was going  
to speak to Asuka. It wasn't as Gendo stared at the camera. " The logical argument  
says that you should kill yourself so SEELE doesn't gain the means for Third  
Impact instead of fighting them. You are my son but most importantly you are Yui's  
son and she wouldn't want to see you die and neither would I."  
  
The adults in the room were quiet as they absorbed what they had heard so  
far. Kenji had heard rumors of Gendo but this was the first he had heard words  
from the man.   
  
"Cold bastard wasn't he?" The glares from Asuka and Shinji quieted him.   
  
"Ms. Soryu," again that quiet voice grabbed their attention. "Or Asuka as  
you liked everyone to call you, I know you even less than my son. If you are  
with my son than you and he have gone through more changes to draw closer to  
each other. You will have learned that humans are social creatures that need  
each other for support and to live."  
  
"Your being here also shows that you realized the foolishness in trying to  
live alone and how fake that reality was in the face of all the pain you had gone  
through. If you don't believe me look at the year after your 'sleep' state and whom  
you are with now." Asuka winced as Gendo smirked. "That closeness is what is needed  
for the prophecies to be carried out."  
  
"Like my son I would have used you to fulfill my goals because you held no  
other purpose in my plans. Out of all the Children you were the most expendable  
in everyone's plan. What happened to your mother and yourself was all known and  
planned by SEELE, but not me." A sad smile surprised everyone. "I met your  
mother once and you take after her in many ways, even the bad. You were to have  
a certain mindset and emotions that would allow their version of Third Impact  
to succeed or what they thought was their version."  
  
"What I do know about you and your emotions is that you will want revenge.  
Though he is your father Mr. Soryu is also a minor SEELE member and not a full  
decision maker so you could start with him." Again Shinji looked over at Asuka.  
This time she was shaking and mumbling under her breath. "You don't have to  
believe me again but go through everything that has happened concerning your  
father and his actions."   
  
Gendo looked like he was waiting for an outburst from the girl. "Revenge is a  
good thing if properly carried out. I would tell you to do the same as Shinji and  
kill yourself but it would be empty words. If you do succeed in taking out SEELE  
than you have more luck than I. Shinji probably does not know about your past, but  
on this disc is everything you will need to come to terms with it."   
  
Again the room was quiet but as the next speech from Gendo to Rei started,  
Shinji reached out and stopped it. Asuka just looked at him with a knowing look,  
while Kenji sat there puzzled.  
  
"You're not going to see what he had to say to Rei?"  
  
"No." Shinji's voice was devoid of emotion.  
  
Kenji pushed on. "She's dead so she will never know or find out we watched  
it."  
  
"What my father would have told Rei is private. She would have respected  
our privacy so we will respect hers." Kenji had to lean back as Shinji got in  
his face with anger apparent on his features.  
  
"Fine." He turned his around and opened up a directory of the disc. "What  
do you want to look at next? SEELE, accounts or other information."   
  
"The money." Asuka finally spoke up.  
  
When Kenji pulled up the files containing the back accounts their eyes grew  
large. In the dozen or so accounts was more money they had ever seen in their  
lives. As they looked at more information Asuka and Shinji saw accounts spread  
throughout the world in various names. Shinji briefly wondered where his father  
had gotten the money then decided he didn't want to know. Asuka saw the money as  
help in their quest.  
  
"My god. You've had this disc for five years and never knew what was on it,"  
exclaimed Kenji not even paying attention to the pair. "With this much money you  
could have complete surgery and come out looking different. They would never be  
able to find you."   
  
"That would be a lie." Asuka brushed her hair back. "I could never look  
myself in the mirror again. What we've looked like has partially defined who we  
are and if we throw that away what does it say about us."  
  
"Anyways," interrupted Shinji. Asuka's words were true but he didn't want  
to discuss that topic. "Who would we have gone to, to get the disc decrypted?  
Kensuke has been watched closely, while if we went the illegal way we would  
have been turned in and the disc lost."  
  
"Hey I'm illegal," joked Kenji. He swallowed and got back to work on the  
accounts and the means of drawing funds. The pair hardly spoke to him except to  
ask questions or give instructions of what they wanted done. As he finished up  
the last account Kenji looked at the clock and saw it was late. As he stood up  
he felt pain shoot through his joints as he went over to a machine and fed some  
blank cards into, waiting patiently for it to finish.  
  
"Here use these for shopping or whatever." He turned and walked away.  
"You'll have to call and make sure the accounts are activated."   
  
With that the final comment he climbed the stairs, opening and closing the  
door at the top. As the sound of the door closing faded, Asuka stood up and  
walked over to the bed and fell on it looking up at the ceiling. To Shinji it  
looked like she was drained of energy and emotion from a hard ordeal. Grinning,  
but not feeling happy or joy Shinji realized he felt the same way as he reached  
the bed and sat down next to Asuka.  
  
"No tears?" He quietly asked her. His fingertips lightly brushed the back  
of her hand as he looked at her. Shinji had expected some reaction at the news  
she had heard from his father.  
  
"No. You too?"  
  
Her hand came up and touched his cheek moving down to his chin and cupping  
it in her palm. He felt the heat rise as he blushed from her gentle touch and  
saw Asuka blush also as he moved their hands together. If it wasn't for the  
pain that he saw in her eyes or the hurt he felt in his heart Shinji would have  
enjoyed the moment. Shaking his head he lay beside her, neither of them speaking  
for a time.   
  
"I won't cry," Shinji whispered. Disentangling their hands Asuka propped  
herself up to look at him. "Not until this is over, will I cry."  
  
"You know I once made a promise like the one you just made. It was after a  
bad time in my life." Shinji looked at her, as this was news to him. "I wasn't  
able to keep that promise and it was but one part that almost destroyed me."  
She held him with a gaze. "You will cry and so will I. There is nothing wrong  
with it."   
  
"I know but."  
  
"It hurts not hearing those words?" Shinji looked at Asuka. "Not hearing  
your father say that he loved you or was proud of you."  
  
Closing his eyes Shinji explained, "Yes, it hurt. My whole life I wanted to  
hear my father say those words to me, I love you my son. With everything  
happening with EVA it changed from love to making him proud of what I did." A  
shaky sigh came from him. "I hardly remembered my mother so he was the one that  
mattered to me, I was stupid."  
  
"Death can do a lot of things to people. Some continue on, others deny the  
fact, while more let the past define their futures." Asuka couldn't look Shinji  
in the eyes as she said the last. As she was lost in thought that when Shinji  
rested his hand on hers again Asuka jerked a bit.  
  
"You -were- the last type." Asuka nodded at his statement.  
  
"What about hearing that my father considered you expendable?"   
  
Asuka calmly replied to his inquiry. "Oh it hurts my pride a little, after  
all they had spent years molding me. Now it doesn't matter." A long silence  
settled over them. "I sort of knew that once I piece things together. The  
Eighth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Angels showed he didn't care about  
me. I was just cannon fodder to the man and if I died so what."  
  
"I know I never asked," Shinji gazed at Asuka. "But what was all the things  
my father said about your past." The way her face blanked caused Shinji to stop.  
  
"I shouldn't have asked."  
  
"No. It has do with my mother and childhood." Asuka finally looked at him.  
"I know you must have been curious about why I fell so hard and fast with the  
last Angels. It's nice that you have been patient and not bringing it up, but  
I'll have to ask that you wait a while longer and trust me. Once this is over  
I'll tell you everything, okay?"  
  
Shinji nodded. "So who should we start with?"  
  
"We'll decide once we leave."   
  
Asuka fell silent and stood up walking over to her bag to pull out her  
sleeping clothes. She wasn't in the mood for a long bath and decided to go to  
sleep as soon as possible. Stepping into the shower Asuka just stood there  
letting the hot water cascade over her shoulders and down her body. As the heat  
turned her skin a darker pink Asuka started to wash but her eyes were blank,  
lost in thought.  
  
Despite her show of not caring about what Gendo said it still hurt. Far too  
many times in her life Asuka had thought that people cared about her or she was  
important, only to have reality shoved in her face. To hear that she was a  
nobody for all her accomplishments made her feel lost and a child again. Before,  
that acknowledgment had been her downfall into self-loathing and pity with her  
becoming catatonic as an end result.  
  
There had been people that had cared about her for just being herself.  
Misato had cared about her despite the hatred Asuka had shown her and still  
tried to show that being the best was not the only thing in life. Kaji had  
accepted her crush on him but he never led her on, doing his best to be a  
support for the girl when she needed it. Grudgingly Asuka even admitted that  
Rei had been a friend in the end, listening to her when Hikari was not around.  
They had all left her alone except for one.  
  
As she brushed her hair, Asuka knew that hearing she was expendable and  
unimportant would not weaken her. She knew Shinji would never think of her that  
way and vice versa. It would force them to work harder to win their freedom from  
the hounds SEELE had set upon their trail. As she pulled on her shirt Asuka  
thought of their plan of action and how they would carry out SEELE's downfall.  
  
Smiling Asuka came to the realization that though they had been sharing the  
decision making for years Shinji was letting her be the leader. It made her feel  
better that he still trusted his life to her decisions. As she stood there  
looking at the man on the bed, feelings and emotions suddenly welled up in her.  
Shaking her head, Asuka couldn't let those out knowing they would interfere,  
they always came at the wrong times.  
  
"Not now damn it!" Storming over to the bed she crawled into it, forcing  
Shinji to stand.   
  
"You got first watch."  
  
- - - -  
  
Asuka blinked as she stepped out of the bank to the bright day outside. She  
still felt tired and angry as she had had a restless night. Asuka had shrugged  
off Shinji's inquiries about herself and outlined the day's activities to him.  
They had decided to split up for once in order to complete their tasks faster.   
  
"Stupid Shinji," Asuka muttered. The bright day, lack of sleep and her bad  
mood made Asuka want to hide from life.  
  
Sliding her sunglasses on Asuka looked at her watch and set off for the  
restaurant they had designated for their meeting place. Despite her bad mood  
Asuka couldn't help but smile as she neared the restaurant after a few minutes.  
They were finally prepared to start after years of being chased and weeks of  
preparation. After eating they would pick up everything from Kenji's and  
disappear again. As she walked past a narrow passage a hand grabbed her,  
pulling her off the street, glasses sent flying.  
  
"You don't know how much trouble you two have been," spoke a tall dark man  
as he covered her mouth. "Where's Ikari, bitch?"  
  
Asuka shook her head like she didn't know, purposely avoiding looking in  
the direction of the restaurant. For her troubles the man slammed her into the  
wall, making her head hit the wall with force. Blinking Asuka tried to buy time  
for her head to clear.  
  
"Don't play games Ms. Soryu. I saw the both of you leave that house this  
morning." As he talked the man ran a hand over her breast. "If you don't talk  
I'm might have some fun before getting rough."   
  
When he had finished speaking the man pressed his fingers into her side. As  
she whimpered in pain and almost fell, Asuka felt the new skin split open.  
Continuing to press his fingers into her wound the man just stared at her.  
Feeling warm blood slide down her skin, Asuka nodded and looked hard in the  
direction of the alley. Trying to block out the pain Asuka readied herself for  
the moment to strike.   
  
Now.  
  
The man barely moved his eyes off of her and was shocked when she struck.  
Dropping low, one hand grabbed his wrist and pulled the arm straight, while her  
other palm came up under the elbow. As it hit Asuka could hear ligaments and bone  
breaking as the joint was forced in a direction it was not designed to move. Not  
stopping as the man screamed in pain Asuka continued her attack.  
  
The man reacted, but not fast enough to the attack. Ignoring her split lip  
Asuka kicked the man in the crotch while pushing him farther away. Punching him  
in the stomach as he bent over in pain Asuka gave no quarter. A series of fast  
punches and kicks kept him off balance until Asuka delivered a blow to his  
throat, then slammed the base of her hand into his nose. The man's eyes popped  
open and he fell to the ground quietly.  
  
Breathing hard and holding her side Asuka barely gave the corpse a second  
glance. He had been dead when she crushed his throat, but Asuka pushing his nose  
into his brain quickened his death. Leaning against the entrance Asuka ignored  
the looks of passerbys and pulled her hand away from her side. The shirt had  
soaked through, covering her hand in sticky blood. Growing lightheaded Asuka  
stumbled towards her destination in desperation.  
  
A pair of arms caught her as she fell to the concrete.  
  
"Asuka what happened?" asked Shinji in a scared whisper.  
  
Looking up at him Asuka smiled lightly wanting to reassure him. It was  
false as her eyes closed from shock, but not before she whispered.  
  
"We have to leave."   
  
* * * *  
  
Sorry for the delay but 12 hour shifts do not lend themselves to creativity  
and writing. I know very little seemed to happen in this chapter but I wanted  
to give work more on Shinji and Asuka. I hope it worked, especially  
Gendo's little speech involving his insights on the pilots. The following  
chapters will move at a faster pace in plot and action. Hopefully all the  
detail is not a pain since I like detail.   
  
About the last part with Asuka's wound tearing open it can happen, I should  
know. It is very painful and bloody compared to a cut but with adrenaline hitting  
her system, well. Also about the encryption I know that modern security companies  
hold competitions involving hackers to see how fast their encryptions will hold.  
Usually they last less than a week so two weeks would seem reasonable for Gendo's  
disc. If the MAGI encrypted it would be impossible for normal computers to break  
and Gendo would know that.  
  
C&C will be welcomed, as I need it to improve.   
  
Dragon Pyre  
caspar@nervhq.org   
  



	3. First Time

Started July 14, 2001  
Finished August 15,2001  
Version 4  
  
The Game: First Time  
Red Horseman  
  
There is no hunting like the hunting of   
man, and those who have hunted armed men  
long enough and liked it, never care for  
anything else thereafter.  
---Ernest Hemingway  
  
  
  
  
* * * *  
  
The cool breeze and the quiet sounds of nature did not reach  
the pair of young adults dressed for a nature walk. They were too   
occupied in reaching their destination. The woman of the pair was   
arguing with her other half over something, which caused him to   
blush and shrug his shoulders as he sat down under a tree. They sat   
under the shade of a tree and took binoculars from their packs   
before training them on a distance object.  
  
A quiet country estate.  
  
"Chiba Kimio." Asuka's binoculars moved slightly as they   
followed the movement of a old man. "The guy really doesn't do a   
lot for a SEELE member."  
  
Shinji nodded in reply, not stopping his observations. This   
was their fifth trip out into the country and their fifth hilltop   
in a week's time. Their car was parked two hours behind them in the   
parking lot of the nature reserve they were hiking through. That   
Kimio had his estate on the edge of the reserve had been a plus in   
their surveillance of the man. It meant they didn't gain unwanted   
attention from their coming and going, as the reserve was popular.  
  
"Cocky isn't he?" Asuka asked, as Kimio stopped and joked   
with one of his workers.  
  
Shinji saw the same event, but disagreed.  
  
"Not at all. He's arrogant and has a large ego." He paused,   
looking over at Asuka until she met his gaze, "Just like someone I   
know."  
  
"Wh...what do you mean by that?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing." She was now standing in front of him; arms   
crossed and foot tapping.  
  
"Hey! I had my pride to defend." She turned her head with   
nose high in the air, "I had to show a spineless boy who was   
smarter and the better pilot." Asuka smiled down at him, "How else   
was I going to get you to wait on me hand and foot, the most   
beautiful girl... woman you know."  
  
This time Shinji was the one trying to come up with a retort.  
Finally, he thought of something to take the wind out of her sails.  
  
"Well, I meant nothing of it but." He stressed the word. "If   
you're going to make a big deal about it. Didn't you just prove me   
right?"  
  
Shinji smiled as Asuka frowned and sat back down next to him   
in defeat. He had a couple reasons to being smiling. This was   
another victory for him in an on going battle of wits they had from   
time to time. That didn't mean he was in the lead, far from it, as   
Asuka won the majority and seemed to take pleasure in keeping him   
unbalanced. He took it gracefully and did the chores she wanted   
done.  
  
The other was her blush on her cheeks as she jotted down some   
notes of what they had observed. It wasn't the blush in and of   
itself, but what it showed him. Asuka was improving daily from her   
wounding at the hands of the bounty hunter. Her color and weight   
were almost back to normal from a steady diet and doing exercising   
in their apartment. They had his father's bank accounts to thank   
for a lot of things.  
  
"You going to stare at me all day or get back to work," Asuka   
deadpanned never looking up.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Shinji blushed as he been caught staring too long at Asuka.   
As he picked up his binoculars again Shinji thought he heard a sigh   
come from Asuka, but her features were blank when he looked. As he   
turned back to looking at the estate and how it was arranged, Shinji   
couldn't help but think about what had been happening between them   
since that night four months ago when they decided to act.  
  
"Guards probably inside the house, and the servants all leave   
at night." The plans of the house were lying on the ground between   
them, a gift from a public servant for some quick cash. Rooms were   
crossed off as they were identified for their uses and danger level.   
  
"Of course, he's got an appearance to keep up for the public."   
They had noticed this during the course of their surveillance. A   
small security patrol would come in the morning do a sweep and   
escort Kimio to his offices, repeating the sweeps at night.  
  
"Everyone likes the caring businessman, so why should he have   
bodyguards?" Her tone was sarcastic.  
  
"That he also has the local and regional police in his pockets   
is going to cause problems." Gendo's files on SEELE were extensive   
and had provided who was in the pockets of each member. Kimio's   
control of the local judicial system and the police outpost four   
miles down the road could cause inconveniences to the pair.   
  
The pair stayed in place, watching Kimio relax for hours until  
the sun began setting behind the mountains. As sun reflected off of   
granite Shinji found himself taking in the view of brilliant colors.   
He had missed so much by being on the run that this was his first   
sunset that he had watched in years.  
  
"Not much to look at, is it?"  
  
"What do you mean?" He turned and looked at Asuka, who despite  
her words was watching the sun sink lower.   
  
"Well, it's missing a lot of things that make a sunset   
memorable." She never turned her head, but Shinji could tell she was  
smiling.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I'm not going to tell you." She turned to stare at him with a  
large smile. "When this is all over I'll show you the places where I   
went... as a girl."  
  
"Okay."   
  
Neither moved after that, not wanting to disturb the quiet   
around them, but with shadows lengthening and the sounds of night  
life awakening they stood. Putting away the supplies and materials   
they had brought, Asuka and Shinji started down the trail back to   
their car. They only exchanged a couple glances as they made their   
way at a quick yet careful pace. Asuka didn't want to break the   
quiet around them but did anyway.  
  
"So you ready for tonight?" Shinji smiled thinly.  
  
"What about you?" Asuka frowned and stopped.  
  
"I know what to do, you're the one with the dangerous part."  
  
Shinji came to stand in front of Asuka.  
  
"Asuka?"  
  
"Hey diddle, diddle straight up the middle." He laughed at   
Asuka's quote of a joke about Marine tactics, but that was their   
plan for that night.   
  
- - - -  
  
"Is this going to work?"   
  
It seemed weird to Shinji seeing Asuka all worked up when he   
was the worrier. As he came out of the bathroom half dressed Shinji   
watched Asuka slip her black jumpsuit on. The suit was tight and   
showed off her figure as she zipped it up, but it wasn't like when   
they wore plugsuits. As she flexed her hands and limbs Asuka looked   
over at Shinji and smirked, causing him to blush and look away.   
  
"Sheesh, it's not like you haven't looked at me before." She   
got up and started putting regular clothes over the suit. "At least   
I'm not naked under this."  
  
"Well... I guess that's a plus." He went to the mirror to   
finish dressing. "We could come up with another plan." Answering   
her other question.  
  
"No." She threw blueprints to the floor, having mesmerized her   
route through the house.  
  
Asuka sat down after putting on a pair of jeans and a loose   
blue blouse hiding the black jumpsuit. It had taken Kenji two weeks   
to get the right suit that would reduce a person's thermal signature.   
Now that they had the necessary equipment everything was moving   
quickly to completion. Shinji had decided that the two of them   
working together would guarantee success after all they had beaten   
Angels the same way. Her fingers drummed on the arm of the chair as   
she watched him dress.  
  
Shinji nodded as he saw her nervousness with how she drummed   
her fingers on the arm of the chair. It was the only way, next to   
playing with her hair, that Shinji ever knew Asuka was nervous or   
worried. He didn't say anything as his own stomach was aching with   
worry. Asuka came to stand behind him as he pulled on his holster   
and picked up his pistol. He slowly slid in a magazine and chambered  
a round before putting it in place. Turning around he looked into   
Asuka's blue eyes staring into his with worry.  
  
"Just don't do anything foolish." Asuka turned Shinji around   
and helped do his tie. As her hands smoothed his collar Shinji   
couldn't do anything except look at Asuka. "I don't want to see any   
holes in you. Bullet wounds are hard to fix and bloody."  
  
Shinji swallowed at how soft her voice was. "Alright."  
  
He walked over to the door and removed his coat from the hook,  
slowly putting it on. Once done with that he reached over and picked  
up a large carrying case carrying his ticket into Kimio's estate. As  
he opened the door a hand gently grabbed his arm stopping him from   
leaving. Turning he saw Asuka looking at him differently then before  
with a mixture of worry and... love? He mentally shook his head not   
wanting to delude himself in trying to read Asuka's emotions.  
  
"Shinji I just want to say..." Asuka closed her mouth   
trembling slightly. Anything could happen that night and she might   
never be able to tell him.  
  
"Asuka."  
  
"Be careful out there." Her eyes turned down as she said that,  
unable to look him in the eye.  
  
"I will, just be on time."  
  
The door closed and Asuka squeezed her hands into fists, as   
her breath became ragged in anger.  
  
"Coward."  
  
- - - -  
  
Knowing Asuka was fifteen minutes behind him per the plan,   
Shinji pulled into the drive of Kimio's estate. The hour-long drive   
had seemed much too short as Shinji's mind was still going over what  
Asuka had tried to say earlier. His feelings concerning the redhead   
had been known for awhile now, but he could never truly figure out   
hers. At times Asuka would act like she cared, at others being   
indifferent to him.   
  
Shinji breathed a sigh of relief, as the estate was dark   
except for a few lights on. Walking up to the door, he pushed   
thoughts of Asuka and his feelings out of his mind as he pushed the   
buzzer. When the door was completely opened Shinji tried to hide   
his surprise as a young man answered the door instead of a middle-  
aged male. He told himself that this did not change a single thing.   
  
"Mr. Akira Shimo." The man's voice was smooth and level.   
  
"Yes." The man smiled and showed him into the house.  
  
The pair was quiet as they started down the hall. Shinji   
didn't gawk at the wealth surrounding him, but found it ironic.   
Ironic that someone who wanted to elevate mankind to another level   
surrounded himself in worldly items. As they walked Shinji was   
rehearsing what would be happening later that evening. Where a hall   
led, what a room was designed for and the location of all doors and   
windows flashed through his mind. His guide interrupted his thoughts  
after a minute of silence.  
  
"I'm sorry for being rude. My name Yosuke Watabe, Mr. Kimio's   
attendant."  
  
Attendant, the same as a bodyguard Shinji thought.  
  
"And Mr. Kimio is where?"  
  
"In his study waiting for you."  
  
Before Shinji could reply to that they reached the destination  
on the other side of the house. As Watabe opened the door Shinji   
swallowed and hoped no one noticed his nervousness. Following behind  
the attendant Shinji was greeted by the sight of a large study, low   
lit and hundreds of books. A large desk dominated one side of the   
room and behind it sat Chiba Kimio.  
  
"Please come in."   
  
The door closed with a hollow thud and he found himself alone   
with Kimio. The easy way would be to kill him and the attendant and   
leave immediately, but he couldn't. Shinji was curious of about this  
man. Shinji took the wine Kimio offered and sat down in front of the  
desk. He waited until the man drank from his own glass before taking  
a sip from his, finding the wine too sweet for his tastes.   
  
"I must say that I was surprised to learn that which I have   
sought for years had become available again. Can you tell me how you  
came to acquire the statuette, since you're much too young to have   
bought it the last time it was on the market."  
  
The man's voice was so calm and soothing that it was causing   
Shinji to lower his guard. Thinking of who the man was in front of   
him and what he had done Shinji explained.  
  
"My... father recently died and it was in his collection. He   
had bought it for my mother as a wedding present but she died a few   
years later and the statuette was placed in storage."   
  
"I see, that explains why no collector has seen in it in over   
twenty years." Kimio motioned to Shinji's tightly clenched fist.   
"The memory of your parents deaths must still hurt."   
  
"A little. I can't really remember my mother and my father   
was always questing after an impossible dream." Shinji stared hard   
at Kimio. "Now can we get on with business?"  
  
"Of course. I get a little distracted talking about such   
tragic things, such as death."  
  
Reaching down Shinji picked up a large briefcase that held   
the item. Placing the case on the desk he popped the latches to   
reveal a finely crafted statuette of a female in a red kimono. A   
month had been used to retrieve the statue and put rumors out that   
it was for sale once again. He had waited until Kimio had quietly   
replied through an intermediate that he was interested in buying it   
and would like a face to face meeting. This meeting was what had   
allowed them to get close to Kimio to assassinate him.  
  
"Exquisite." Kimio pulled on a pair of gloves. "May I?"  
  
After receiving Shinji's acknowledgment he stood and gently   
removed the statuette from the case. Walking over to another table   
Kimio turned on more lights so he could closely examine the   
statuette. Opening a couple books he started to verify that which he  
was holding was the real thing. The half-hour it took for Kimio to   
look at colors, hand-crafted details and other little distinguishing  
marks felt like forever to Shinji as he sat in his chair. Finally   
Kimio sighed and straightened up from the table.  
  
"Come with me please."  
  
Shinji stood nervously and followed the man out of his study   
to walk a short distance to another room. As the lights came on   
Shinji saw the room filled with rare items from many countries.   
Paintings, statues, rugs and tablets filled cases or hung from   
walls. Standing in a corner he waited for Kanno to speak or do   
something.  
  
"You're one of a few people to ever see my collection."  
  
"It's... very nice."  
  
Kimio laughed lightly. "Nice you say? It's the largest of its   
kind in the private sector." He walked over to a case that held   
other statuettes and placed Shinji's among it. "This was the last   
one to finish my collection of various emperor's wives."   
  
"I see... and the price?"  
  
"Impatient? I'll get to that in a moment." Kimio rested his   
hands on a lower shelf. "I know you took your wife's name from   
marriage, that your debts and credits were cleared under law. But   
something didn't quite add up when I checked your history."  
  
Shinji looked down at his watch as the light flashed on its   
face. "What was that?"  
  
"Your father's name was no where to be found in any records,   
like you had popped into existence. The same is true from the   
records of the auction house concerning the buyer of the statuette."   
Kimio straightened, his voice hardening. "So let's stop this   
charade, Shinji Ikari."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Oh, come now don't play dumb. A screen lowered and a split   
image was projected, one of him during NERV and the present. Symbols  
flashed over his facial structure before turning green. "An amazing   
machine in its ability to match the facial structure of anyone in   
its data banks."  
  
"Quite stupid of you to come to me when running would have   
been the easiest. I thank you for the gift of the statuette and   
yourself" The grin of success was evident on Kimio's face as he   
turned. "Let me guess, you were going to be my executioner? Your   
father tried so many times to take us, failing in all his attempts."  
  
"So why don't you be good boy and not struggle."  
  
Shinji's knuckles turned white as he squeezed his hands in   
fists. Staring down at his at his Shinji didn't relax as he watched   
the time countdown on his watch. Two large men dressed in suits came  
in and shoved him against the wall searching him for weapons. As   
they found the pistol under his left arm he started squirming   
causing them to shove him harder. Smiling to himself as they let   
him go, he was forcefully turned around and brought to stand in   
front of Kimio.  
  
"Were you able to find the girl?" Kimio asked the guards.  
  
"Not yet, sir. The trace was to a public phone and no one has   
seen a person matching Ms. Soryu's description."  
  
"What a pity."   
  
Shinji barely had time to see the man move before a fist   
slammed into his stomach. Trying to roll with the punch failed, his   
breath forced out of him. Still standing, feeling sick, Shinji   
eceived another punch, this time to the face. Stars flashed in   
front of his eyes as the fist split open the skin of his cheek. His   
arm was twisted up and behind him, causing him to go up on the tips   
of his toes.  
  
'Asuka?'  
  
Tensing he waited for the next punch, hoping not to be too   
injured.  
  
"Stop." At that moment his watch face flashed, having reached   
the end of the countdown. As soon as he was released he flexed his   
muscles, loosening them up for the coming fight.  
  
Shinji raised his eyes and saw Kimio standing there as another   
agent reported. Kimio's grin grew and Shinji felt sick to his   
stomach as the door opened. In flew a female with auburn hair and   
wearing a jumpsuit. The agent who had shoved her picked her up by   
the hair and didn't let go. He was covered in blood and Asuka had   
bruises on her face from struggling. In his hand was the submachine   
gun Asuka was to have used later.   
  
"Ms. Soryu, so good of you to join us." Shinji stared wide-eyed  
at Asuka; this was not part of the plan. She flashed him a quick   
smile and tensed as the agent fondled her. Shinji moved in to stop   
him, anger clouding his mind and a fist connected with the side of   
his head, stunning him.  
  
"Stop that Jubei." The agent quickly removed his hand. "I hope   
you did a detailed search of where you found her." The agent shook   
his head in embarrassment. "Go search."   
  
That was all Kimio was able to say before the estate shook from  
the concussion of explosives going off. Shinji lashed out at one of   
his captor's knees, hearing a satisfying crunch as the joint was   
destroyed. In a smooth motion he spun to his left towards the other   
agent, arm aiming for the bottom of his chest. A shake of his wrist   
and the bang stick slid into his palm. The swollen tip of the stick   
struck the agent just under the sternum at a steep angle. When it   
did the combined push of Shinji's arm and the inertial mass of his   
body pushed the chamber backwards, jamming the primer on to the   
fixed firing pin causing the shotgun shell to fire into the man's   
chest.  
  
"Oomph." The man simply crumpled to the floor like a rag doll,   
dead.   
  
Grabbing his pistol off the floor Shinji turned back to the   
first target finger already tightening on the trigger. A flaash of   
light and harsh impact threw off his first shots before he centered   
on the target's chest. Four red spots appeared on the agent's chest   
as he looked down in surprise and shock. His head jerked back and   
the wall behind him was covered in crimson as Shinji fired one last   
shot before ejecting the partial magazine and replacing it. The   
sound of a submachine gun drew his attention back to Asuka.  
  
He saw a flash of black go out the door over a dead body as she  
ran into the hall. The guard that had fondled her was lying on the   
ground in a puddle of blood from a knife thrust to the throat. The   
other had sprayed his brains over Kimio as the hollow points had   
blown his face off. Shinji sucked in a breath as the rush of   
adrenaline coursed through his body. Seemingly calm he fired until   
hitting Kimio in the leg, causing him to fall to his knees. He   
walked up to the man and stopping a couple feet away aiming for his   
head.   
  
"You can't shoot me. I can tell you where to find the others  
or who is working for them." Even facing death the man still   
thought he could control the situation. Screams came through the   
open door as people died, causing Kimio to look frantically at the   
door.  
  
"Shut up." Shinji felt completely calm and devoid of emotion   
as he looked at the man. Closing his eyes briefly faces of friends   
that had been killed appeared. The blood and pain of Asuka being   
wounded from the bounty hunter. All steeled his resolve as he opened  
his eyes and stared Kimio in the eyes, aiming for the man's chest.   
He felt calm and empty of all emotion.  
  
"How did it feel to give the order to kill so many people?   
Rei, Misato,... my father."  
  
Worry and surprise came to Kimio's eyes before he tried to   
move. The narrowing of his eyes and tensing of muscles was all   
Shinji needed to act. What happened next, Shinji would remember for   
the rest of his life. As his finger pulled smoothly back on to the   
break point on the trigger Shinji knew what he had been waiting for.  
The chance to snatch the man's dreams of power at the moment they   
were finally realized.   
  
The sharp report sounded muted to his ears as the gun fired   
the first round into Kimio's torso. He could see the man's eyes   
widen in shock and surprise as the round entered his body, only to   
exit in a crimson spray. The sharp exhalation of breath from impact   
and the jerking of the body back against a display case followed.   
The kick of the recoil and the automatic realigning of the gun onto   
the target all felt naturally smooth to Shinji. Two arcs of bright   
brass joined the first as he fired two more rounds, the sound of   
them hitting the floor returned everything back to normal.  
  
Shinji found the estate eerily quiet except for the sounds   
Kimio's body was making as he lowered the gun shaking. Walking over   
to the corpse Shinji stared into empty eyes as he confirmed he was   
dead. Taking deep shallow breaths Shinji slowed his breathing,   
surprised at how little time had elapsed and how worked up he was.   
Ejecting his old magazine Shinji slipped in a full clip and slowly   
walked out the door of collection room, wanting to find Asuka. What   
he saw surprised him.  
  
Besides the corpses in the room there were four dead agents   
in the hall. A couple had wounds in the back indicating they had   
not come from Asuka. The floor was covered in gore as he walked down  
the hall despite the smoke and flames he reached an open door.   
Stepping in he saw two agents sitting in front of television   
monitors. His gun came up automatically before he could that they   
were dead from shots to the head. None of the recording devices were  
in one piece.   
  
"I found them like that."  
  
Shinji jumped and was turning around as the voice whispered   
in his ear. A slender arm wrapped around his and held him fast as   
the person giggled in his ear. The person holding him released his   
arm and Shinji turned around to see Asuka staring at him, laughing   
lightly. Despite the situation Shinji joined in the sudden release   
causing him to become light-headed. Her face was covered in sweat   
and soot from the growing fire.  
  
"Asuka?" She stopped laughing and looked own at her body.  
  
"I'm going to have an interesting set of bruises tomorrow."   
Her body armor had been hit by a multitude of bullets and her   
breathing was labored.  
  
"Let's get out of here."  
  
Stepping out of the room the pair counted their blessings.   
Returning to the collection and as he reached for the statuette   
Shinji couldn't help but look into Kimio's eyes. A sickening   
feeling and coldness invaded Shinji as what he had just done sank   
into his mind. Latching the case he left the house and got into the   
car, knowing the feeling in his gut would only get worse with time.   
  
- - - -  
  
"Shinji, what's wrong?"  
  
That was the first thing Asuka said as they stepped through   
the door to the apartment but her voice wasn't angry, instead it   
sounded worried in its quietness. The ride back from the burning   
estate had been quiet despite all the feelings of tension in their   
bodies. Shinji had not answered any of her questions as he stared   
straight ahead, determined to reach some destination in his mind.   
The flat hard look in his eyes scared her as they also held pain.   
  
"Nothing." Shinji stumbled against a wall, leaving a bloody   
mark.  
  
Asuka was next to him in a flash as she saw the blood and his   
body sag. Shock and blood loss had over taken the pain numbing   
effects of adrenaline. Placing one of his arms around her shoulders   
she carried him into the bedroom and put him in the bed. Quick   
nimble fingers had his jacket and shirt off in a flash.  
  
"Idiot I told you not to get any holes." She smiled faintly.   
  
The ever ready emergency kit was soon opened and next to   
Asuka as she went to work to stop the blood. The bullet had punched   
a clean hole through his side, it was luck that it had not hit any   
organs. Disinfecting the wound Asuka watched for any reaction from   
Shinji but he remained unconscious. She kept changing bandages   
until blood no longer soaked through, wrapping gauze around two   
clean bandages. Asuka looked at the blood on her hands and sighed   
as she remembered the blood on Shinji as he had treated her months   
ago.  
  
"Man you're heavy." Asuka grunted as she picked him up, her   
own body protesting. Setting Shinji on the floor she pulled the   
bloody sheets off the bed and flipped the mattress. Going to the   
closet she remade the bed with clean sheets before stripping Shinji   
down to his underwear and putting him under the covers.  
  
Unzipping the suit Asuka took a sniff.  
  
"Sorry Shinji, ladies first." She had the jumpsuit off even   
before reaching the door to the washroom. Soon the sound of a   
shower running was heard from the open door but Shinji remained   
oblivious to his surroundings.  
  
Shinji watched in horror as the execution replayed in his   
head as he watched off to the side, a spectator. His other self had   
a cruel smile that kept growing as he shot the person in front of   
him. At first Kimio and guards appeared but soon others were   
kneeling on the floor. Shinji watched in horror as his other self   
trying to turn away as he gunned down Rei and Misato, before Touji   
and Kensuke appeared. He screamed when Asuka showed up pleading with  
him to stop that she loved him. Time slowed as the other Shinji's   
grin grew and his finger pulled back slowly.  
  
"No!"   
  
His entire body convulsed as he woke from the nightmare,   
sweaty and shaking. The gray surface of the ceiling met his eyes as   
he calmed to a slight trembling. Shinji knew the nightmare was a   
reflection of the crime he had committed just hours ago or days. He   
couldn't tell, as his body was weak and hot from something. A hand   
ran along his side reaching the bandaged wound and Shinji remembered   
the jarring impact from the guard. His eyes closed and a ragged cry   
escaped his lips trying to forget the nightmare and guilt it   
brought.   
  
All this was witnessed by Asuka as she sat in a chair in the   
corner watching over Shinji as he had done so many times with her.   
She had sat there in semi-darkness with only a full moon to keep   
her company as sirens screamed through the night. As silver streaks   
slid down Shinji's cheeks Asuka couldn't understand what he was   
feeling. She didn't feel any guilt over the killings but Shinji   
wasn't her.  
  
Shinji's eyes flew open when he felt something-warm join him   
under the sheets, an arm wrapping around his waist. He turned his   
head and saw Asuka next to him wearing only a T-shirt and with   
worry in her eyes. He couldn't help but again notice how beautiful   
she was as she rested her head on his shoulder. His body couldn't   
help but tremble at the feeling of her body leaning against his.  
  
"When I woke up from my self imposed exile I asked you why   
you were there." She pre-empted. "Why you had waited for a bitch   
like me to wake up after the way I had treated you."  
  
"Asuka..."  
  
"Or why you continued to patch me up. You do so much for me   
at risk to yourself." She rolled onto Shinji, her arms on either   
side of his head. "And you always give one answer."  
  
"Because I care." He smiled.  
  
"Yes." Her lips brushed his. "You care so much even for those   
that have hurt you, like me and your father."  
  
Shinji's body tensed as her lips met his inn a gentle kiss. He   
lay there stunned before wrapping his arms around her and enjoying   
it. It had been years since they had given each other a true first   
kiss on his eighteenth birthday, both treasuring it. Shinji felt   
disappointed as she pulled back and looked at him, a small smile   
evident. Asuka's body groaned in pain as Shinji hugged her but she   
ignored the pain, not wanting to ruin the moment.  
  
"I don't want to lose you Shinji. Not to bullets or to   
depression and guilt." A tear slid down her cheek. "Please, let it   
go."  
  
He couldn't meet her gaze, sadly. "I can't Asuka. I don't know   
if something is wrong with me or what but I can't forget their   
faces."   
  
"I can't understand you but.." A sigh. "Don't do anything   
stupid."   
  
She leaned down at his nod, unable to find the courage to tell   
him anything more.   
  
- - - -  
  
Shinji slowly woke the next day as the sun shone into the   
apartment as it rose farther into the sky. Reaching over he was   
going to wake Asuka but was disappointed, as she was no longer next   
to him. The sheets didn't hold any heat from her body but the pillow  
still held the scent of strawberries from Asuka's shampoo. Sitting   
up Shinji groaned as cramps took hold of his body for a moment. He   
enjoyed sharing a bed, no matter how infrequent it happened, with   
Asuka feeling calm and at peace in being able to feel her warmth and  
heartbeat next to him. That he wasn't alone in the world.  
  
The smell of breakfast caused his stomach to grumble and he   
stood to walk to the small kitchen. As he walked the faces of the   
men he killed flashed in front of him and Shinji put a hand to his   
face to block the images. Cracked eyes allowed him to reach the door   
of kitchen. What he saw lightened his mood of the images in his   
mind.  
  
"Good morning sleepy head." Asuka's voice was light and   
cheerful as she cooked.  
  
"Morning."  
  
Shinji sat down at the table as Asuka finished her   
preparations for breakfast. She looked refreshed as she brought   
over what she had cooked. Shinji couldn't help but smile as she   
wore clean shorts and a T-shirt obviously after taking a shower   
while he smelled like sweat and was pale from blood loss. As they   
dug into omelets and toast they stared at each other.  
  
"You feeling better?"  
  
"A little."  
  
"That's nice."  
  
Silence reigned in the small room after the little exchange.   
Asuka was hoping that Shinji would talk to her about the night   
before but she wouldn't push him. Like Shinji she had enjoyed   
sharing a bed with him. She looked at him and she thought he didn't   
look better but then again he had lost blood and guilt ate at him.   
Asuka didn't know why she blushed as Shinji caught her staring, it   
wasn't like she hadn't done it before.   
"How can you be so calm about last night?" Shinji thought she  
wouldn't answer but Asuka paused, her blush fading.  
  
"I guess because I don't see them as people, just objects in  
my way."  
  
"What!" Shinji just looked at her, shocked.  
  
"Look, Shinji." She stared him in the eyes. "It may seem cold  
but it's our survival and the world's at stake. What happens if you  
freeze and one of us is wounded and captured. Or killed because you  
hesitated?" Shinji looked down at the table taking in her words.   
Standing Asuka moved to get another cup of tea.  
  
"You want any sugar in you tea?"  
  
Shinji nodded at her question and continued eating, thinking.   
As Asuka placed the cup in front of him Shinji grabbed her hand,  
gently holding it. "About last night, thank you."  
  
"You're welcome." She squeezed his hand before he let go.  
  
Asuka rubbed her hand as Shinji got up and went to wash up. It   
disappointed her that after the night before he wouldn't go any   
further then holding her hand. Getting over it she started cleaning   
up the dirty dishes from breakfast as the shower started up. By the   
time Shinji was done everything was cleaned and she was sitting in   
the couch drinking more tea. The television was on and the local   
broadcasters were airing a breaking story.  
  
"I thought the deaths would be covered up by everyone." Asuka   
was a little pale as the reporters told the details of how the men   
were killed. Everything had been a blur to her last night, as she   
hadn't seen people but objects.  
  
"Shinji." She waited for him to join her on the couch. "You   
know I didn't kill everyone. Some were already dead."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What do you think?" She stretched out looking at the ceiling.  
  
"I don't know, but I think that our freedom for the last six   
years hasn't been from just luck or our abilities."   
  
The room grew quiet as the pair thought about that. That   
someone was watching over them was scary. "So now what do we do?"   
  
"We stay here for a couple more days." That had been the plan  
as the apartment they were staying was located in one of five towns  
surrounding Kimio's estate. The amount of people and traffic in each   
town would mask their movements when they finally left.   
  
- - - -  
  
"Lucky bastard." This came from a man who was watching Asuka   
wrestle Shinji onto to the floor. "We do all the work and he gets   
the girl."  
  
"Well they deserve to have some fun." His partner replied,   
sounding humored at his friend's mood. He looked up from computer   
screen to see Shinji pin Asuka.  
  
"Anyway the boss is going to be pissed. They just destroyed   
twelve years of work with their stunt."  
  
"It can't be helped. Now drive." Their replacements were   
already on the scene and updated so they could leave.   
  
  
  
* * * *   
  
Not my best chapter I do believe. Four versions to get a   
decent story out that was reasonably believable. The other two were   
just too ridiculous to be believed and I had to start over. And one   
of my pre-readers thought the last version was boring.  
  
For SEELE I'm going to make them human. That means they are   
going to have faults, make mistakes and other things that can be   
exploited. As a group they are strong and able to pull strings and   
control countries but their power has to weaken when they work   
individually. Also no matter how united a group is there is always   
internal politics.  
  
As for the part of recognizing Shinji. There is technology   
that can scan the facial structure of people and match them to a   
database. Make up and disguise is useless against this and plastic   
surgery is also no guarantee. The only way to defeat is to alter   
the bones that make up a person's face, very painful and risky.   
Given that the meeting took a month to set up getting the technology  
would be no problem. And why go after Shinji when he will come to   
you.  
  
You have to love anti-personnel mines in their ability to kill  
large groups of people at once. People lose their edge if they never  
use their skills, no matter how much training they receive. So you   
take people who have little experience against veterans and throw in  
a large distraction. Well victory goes to the veterans.   
  
C&C is always welcome.  
  
Red Horseman: eva_pilot9@secondimpact.com  
  
Pre-readers  
  
TommyRude tommyrude@hotmail.com  
  
Binh Tran vash0006@hotmail.com   
  



	4. The Games We Play

Started August 23, 2001 Finished October 16, 2001  
  
The Games We Play Version 3.2  
  
Red Horseman  
  
There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter. ---Ernest Hemingway  
  
* * * *  
  
The dance floor was a mass of writhing bodies lost in the electronic pulse of music blasting out of speakers surrounding them, and lights dancing along the walls and ceiling. Many were lost in the euphoria of drugs or alcohol, while others loved the press of flesh against flesh. But something moved through that mass, disrupting the pulse with a cold almost painful presence. Bodies flowed apart to let the cold presence pass before flowing back into a chaotic mess. Heads turned to watch the pair that had interrupted them stride to the bar, many eyes concentrated on the shapely redhead for but a moment. In that moment they saw cold blue eyes stare at them in contempt and disdain. A few made to move towards the bar hoping that the redhead would give them a better chance. This time it was her partner who stopped them by simply leaning back against the bar and staring back at them. With those two looks the bar knew that the pair was not worth the trouble.  
  
"What'll you have?" The bartender barely gave the pair a second glance as he waited for their orders. It wasn't his job to keep the peace but to keep the alcohol flowing.  
  
"Torrence Grypthon," the woman stated quietly.  
  
The man looked over the pair once again, this time taking in every detail of their clothing and posture. The redhead calmly sat on the barstool, smoothing the black dress over long, slender legs. She flashed him a smile that was not friendly and definitely did not reach her eyes. That she was beautiful could be seen in a glance, but a longer look would show any male that she was dangerous, and not in any sexual sense. The young man leaned against the bar top studying the dance floor with it's alternating patterns and watching anyone that came too close to their seating. The bartender saw that the man was armed from the bulge under one arm, and the way his hands strayed to his jacket from time to time.   
  
"How do you know him?"   
  
"Business." Asuka simply stared at him, showing that she was all business. They would get what they needed or someone would lose their money. "Tell him he has two VIPs waiting for their goods."  
  
"Right, no one just walks in from the streets and gets an audience."  
  
Asuka sighed, and fished around in her small purse. With a flick of the wrist she threw a signet ring onto the countertop. Signet rings had returned to being popular among syndicates and the black market, especially when they carried specialized one-time use electronics. The bartender picked it up and turned to a small reader built into the bar. As he waited for the results some unseen signal was passed between the man and two guards.  
  
Gripping Shinji's arm tightly as he began to move in front of her, Asuka watched as the two men approached. She smirked at how slow they moved compared to most of the bounty hunters that had hunted them. But they were bigger than Shinji and herself, and if they got into arms reach they could cause some damage. Continuing to smirk, she simply stared at the duo waiting for them to make the first move, unwilling to look away. Assessing the situation she knew that they could only rely on her hand-to-hand training and Shinji's pistols to get them out of the bar during a panic.  
  
Minutes passed as the bartender had moved from the electronic reader to a nearby videophone. The discussion was heated as he kept looking over at them and turning back to the phone. The noise of the bar covered up all of the conversation only allowing Asuka to guess at what was being said. Soon it was over and Asuka had to dig her nails into Shinji's arm as he began to reach into his jacket at one of the guard's movement. Shinji hissed at the unexpected pain, but stopped trying to grab one of his guns. Instead he followed Asuka's lead and stared at them. The guard that had stepped forward saw all this and took a couple steps back.  
  
Turning his head he let them see the small earpiece. "Torrence says you're late."  
  
"Too bad," Shinji answered, not letting them guess as to who was in charge.  
  
"It's not polite to stand him up."  
  
"Well, then he should have given better directions."  
  
The man smiled and gestured for them to follow. "You and the Boss might get along. Might being the word."  
  
The guard stepped around Asuka, who got up and followed with the other guard behind her and Shinji bringing up the rear. The pair hadn't trusted anyone for years and they weren't about to start with these two. Shinji received a strange look from the guy he was following, but he just stared back as they went up a set of stairs. He hadn't like coming here and neither had Asuka as there was too much commotion that didn't allow proper surveillance. But they needed the tools to commit the next stage of their offense against SEELE and this was the only contact that could get it for them. And so Shinji looked back to verify that no one was following them and that there was a way out. But as the door closed behind him he again reached for his gun again, wanting to be ready.  
  
"Relax Mr. Ikari, I'm not in the business of killing my customers."   
  
The speaker reminded Shinji too much of his father as he refused to stand or greet the pair. Instead he simply sat behind a large oak desk with his hands laying flat and fingers intertwined. Neither pilot reacted to his features or the color of his skin as NERV had been an international organization. Plus they had fought Angels and bounty hunters, receiving more scars then this man who had one scar up the side of his cheek. Shinji followed after Asuka as she glided over to a chair and sat down, crossing her legs. He took up position off to her left while the two guards joined others who had already been in the room.   
  
"Is he always like this?" Torrence gestured at Shinji who had placed a hand on Asuka's shoulder.  
  
"Only when we're unsure of the situation."  
  
The man gave them a knowing smile, "He's very protective of you?"  
  
"Yes." Asuka reached up and placed a hand on Shinji's, squeezing gently before returning her hand to her lap.  
  
"Now can we get on to business?"  
  
Torrence laughed gently, "Kenji told me you'd cut straight to the heart of the matter. I like that."  
  
Asuka opened her mouth to fire a retort, but Torrence was already moving to grab something behind his desk and place it on top. She felt Shinji's fingers tighten as they both saw the red and white biohazard warnings on the silver metal case they were to receive. With quick fingers Torrence tapped in the proper number sequence into the electronic lock before sliding the paper over to her. As the case was opened and turned towards her Asuka felt herself leaning forward to get a better look.  
  
Nestled in foam rubber were two metallic cylinders covered in the same warning as the case. The ease with which Torrence put on his protective gear told the pair that he had done this many times in the past. With care Torrence unscrewed one cylinder and pulled out a vial filled with a clear liquid. Putting that vial on the foam he repeated the procedure until both vials were ready for Asuka and Shinji's inspection. When neither moved, he licked his lips at their stares.  
  
"You do know what these are used for?"  
  
"Of course we do. If we didn't know what they did we'd never have asked for them." Asuka's voice was full of sarcasm, "What did you think we were going to do with it?"  
  
Torrence leaned back in his chair and looked at them in a different light. He had not really believed that the two 'kids' sitting in front of him were that hardened. Torrence knew that firing a pistol round into someone was completely different then stabbing a person. Poisoning a person took even more guts because you had to stick around to make sure they died.  
  
"You've done this before?"  
  
"Yes," replied Shinji.  
  
"Did you enjoy it?"   
  
"No."  
  
Shinji felt his anger rise as the man leaned on the desk looking at them with his hands steepled. Shinji felt his hand clench into a fist as he thought about how this person had no right to question them about killing. Kimio's face still haunted him, causing him to lose sleep even though the deed was more then two months behind him. He looked down to see Asuka looking over her shoulder at him as she touched his hand for a moment. She knew what he had been going through and had done her best to help him through it as their relationship shifted.  
  
Asuka changed the subject, not wanting to deal with a depressed Shinji. "We'd like to see a demonstration. Just to make sure it's the real thing."  
  
"Fine." Like a scene out of bad spy movie Torrence pressed a button on his desk causing a door to slide open. The man behind the door walked into the room and placed a caged rabbit on the desk. Torrence stopped the man as he moved to open the vials.  
  
"And I'd like to see the payment we agreed upon."  
  
Asuka stayed quiet as she moved slightly to pick up the attaché case that she had carried into the nightclub. Setting the case on the desk she popped the latches open and spun it around. They had taken a few days to travel around the city and withdraw the desired amount. It had been worth it as both Asuka and Shinji watched Torrence pick up a bundle and thumb through it with a large grin.  
  
"Cash." He looked up from the money, "Do know how old fashioned this is?"  
  
Asuka coolly examined her nails as she replied, "It doesn't leave trails or dead bodies."   
  
"Sorry little girl, but it does. Well at least trails."  
  
"Tell me something," Asuka felt her anger rising and knew the meeting would be closing soon. She waited for his nod before going on, "How many ATMs do you have in Chicago."  
  
"I wouldn't know I have no business interests in that area."  
  
"Over 9,000." She didn't even smile or grin at the man's ignorance, "So tell me, how would they track money from so many different locations?"  
  
"Well."  
  
"They can't and my patience is growing thin. So I suggest that you give us the demonstration and let us leave."  
  
One of the guards felt that Asuka was not showing the proper amount of respect for his boss. Shinji watched him move towards Asuka and waited for something to happen. Asuka hated it when he got overly protective of her, but nothing would change his mind at times. So as the man rested his hand on Asuka's shoulder Shinji moved and grabbed the man's wrist. With a twist the room's occupants heard a sharp crack, as the man's wrist was broken. Shinji still hated inflicting pain, but unless he wanted to lie down and die there was nothing he could do. He moved away from Asuka as the other guards started walking towards them.  
  
"STOP!"  
  
Shinji looked towards the desk to see Torrence standing and glaring at everyone. With a start the other guards looked ashamed as they returned to their prior positions. The guard with the broken wrist was kneeling on the floor holding it in his hand. Torrence looked disgusted at the man and sat back down in his chair. With a slight nod at one of the guards, Torrence had the violator removed from the room.  
  
"I'm sorry about that. I have an outstanding rule that customers are not to be touched. Especially women." Smoothing his jacket, he relaxed, "Now let's continue."  
  
The man who had brought the rabbit in pulled out a small tray from the cage. Working slowly he unscrewed one of the vial's lid and poured a small amount of the clear liquid into the tray. He repeated the same procedure with the other vial once he had secured the first vial. After he replaced the second vial in the foam, the man swirled the two liquids in the tray together for a few seconds. Sliding the tray back into the cage he moved away so that everyone could see the results.  
  
Asuka dug her nails into Shinji's hand as she watched the rabbit sniff the liquid before drinking. She could feel Shinji tremble as they both waited for something to happen. Asuka hated seeing anything used for experiments, especially ones that resulted in death. That was what has happened to her and Shinji's mothers with piloting EVA for the first time. Blinking back a couple tears she turned to watch the rabbit. As they watched Asuka heard a slight wheezing rise from the rabbit. It's eyes were wide in panic as it tried to breath but all it could do was produced more mucus. Shuffling over to a corner the rabbit lay down, it's ears going flat before it slumped. Torrence reached in and pulled out the limp dead body of the rabbit.  
  
"No that's fine," Asuka choked out as he held it out to her. Standing Asuka put the vials in the cylinders and closed the metallic case. Without a single word she turned and walked out of the room and down the stairs, Shinji close behind her. He got within range and reached for her free hand, feeling Asuka cup her hand around his for an instant. Asuka ignored the leering faces of the men scattered close to the door as she grabbed her jacket. Not even putting it on she stalked out the door and picked up her pace up in order to reach their car sooner. Placing the case in the trunk she unlocked the doors and got in the passenger side. Shinji got in after her and started the car, looking at the young woman leaning against the door as he started driving.  
  
He wanted to say something as Asuka remained silent as he guided the car up the on-ramp and onto the expressway. Shinji always felt his heart crack whenever Asuka was sad or depressed for some reason. It wasn't fair for such a vibrant person to be down or frowning instead of smiling, and he loved her smiles. Slowly reaching over Shinji rested a hand on her leg, and felt her tremble at the unexpected touch. He started removing his hand, but felt Asuka's fingers intertwine with his, not letting him go. .  
  
Her voice was a quiet whisper as she spoke, "I'm sorry Shinji."   
  
"For what?"  
  
"I shouldn't have." Asuka felt tears threatening to fall. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, it showed weakness to that man."  
  
"I understand I don't like seeing things being used for experiments either. But."  
  
Asuka interrupted him, not yelling or anything. "It's not that, I was just thinking of my mother." Her voice cracked a little.   
  
"You don't have to talk about it, I'll understand why."  
  
"Thank you."   
  
Shinji didn't saying after that but squeezed her hand lightly while continuing to drive one handed. He knew that talking about mothers was a touchy subject with the two of them and avoided it as much as possible. Shinji knew that something had happened to Asuka's mother but he had never pressed her. He remembered the painful memory of when he had lost his mother in the first experiment with Unit-01. Shinji would wait for the day that Asuka would tell him about her family, like she had promised to.  
  
- - - -  
  
The slight shuffle of bare feet on carpet warned Shinji that Asuka was approaching. Flicking his fingers Shinji closed the item that he had been looking at and put it back in its bag. Slipping it into drawer he went back to cleaning his two pistols as he sat on a couch. He had taken to wearing two guns and carrying an extendable metal baton after the shootout in Kimio's. Asuka had pressed the issue of always having enough firepower and she followed her own advice normally, except tonight.  
  
"You still not done yet?" asked Asuka as she came out of their room wearing a green evening dress.  
  
"No." Shinji felt surprise at the anger in his voice. Finished with the cleaning, he started reassembling them as Asuka walked up to him.  
  
"You're still mad about this?" She would be very surprised if he wasn't.  
  
"Of course I am," Shinji fumed. "How else do you want me to feel? Ever since we met and worked together we've never operated separately."  
  
Asuka stared down at him, frowning, and tapping her foot. "That's not true and you know it."  
  
"I know." He looked down, away from her scowl. "The Eighth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Angels were the only times, okay. I hated it back then and I still hate it now."  
  
"Unless you can change from being a male into a female, I'm the only one that can do this."   
  
Shinji stood up abruptly causing Asuka to step back to keep from getting hit by his actions. As he walked over to the kitchen Asuka could see that he was mad from his tense posture to the way his hand clenched and unclenched. Smiling at that little quirk she moved towards him getting ready to speak. But as usual he beat her to the punch.  
  
"We should just wait until he walks out of the bar and gun him down there," Shinji smiled faintly.  
  
"And what good would that do?" Asuka walked up behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders feeling the hard muscles. "Our faces would be in every paper and on television. We couldn't fly out or even take the train. We'd be trapped."   
  
Shinji reached down and picked up printed out police reports and newspaper articles. Every word had been burned into his memory and he felt his heart race and anger climb again. If anyone deserved to die it was the Senator from Illinois with his twisted fun and demented lifestyle.  
  
"But this guy's a monster. He beats the." Shinji couldn't even finish. Instead he turned around with tears in his eyes. "I don't want that to happen to you."  
  
Asuka leaned forward, resting her head against his and looked into his eyes as she spoke. "Nothing like that is going to happen, okay. I'll get some bruises and he'll be dead, end of story."  
  
"Asuka," growled Shinji through clenched teeth. "This is so stupid. I hate it. Do you understand that?"  
  
"I do, and we've argued about it for the last two days. It's my plan." Her eyes softened, "Please just trust me." Shinji sadly closed his eyes in defeat.  
  
"And after this is over we can spend some time celebrating." She waited for his agreement and grinned at his nod, though his eyes were full of worry, before going to finish dressing. But Shinji caught her hand, causing her to turn around.  
  
"I'll hold you to that." He got a bigger smile from Asuka before she slipped out his grasp. As the door closed he finished. "You mean too much to me."  
  
- - - -  
  
Shinji pushed open the heavy oak door of the bar and stepped into the alcove letting his eyes adjust. As he started down the stairs the door cut off any noise from the outside behind him. He had been expecting to find a place filled with rowdy, and noisy patrons, but found the opposite. Per their plan he began his journey to the other side of the long bar, taking in as much detail as he possible could. Asuka would be following behind him, waiting to spring the trap on Jason Deibel.  
  
He had prepared himself to find a dark room with the smell of smoke, alcohol, and unwashed bodies assaulting his sense of smell. But that was not the case as he walked the room. The bar ran the length of one wall and had three bartenders waiting on patrons. Glasses of all shapes and sizes hung above racks of alcohol, waiting to be used. Mirrors lined the walls, allowing everybody a view of the room behind them and all activity. It was not as bright as Shinji wanted it, but he could see everything that was happening. As he sat down in a leather a bar chair he looked at everyone who was seated at tables filling the rest of the room and saw a couple tables that Asuka might be sitting at soon.  
  
"Can I help you?" Shinji glanced back to the bar and found one of the servers looking at him. He had the sharpest green eyes that seemed to look through a person. The man's hairline was retreating and his body was one of an athlete in prime condition, if you considered fifty as a prime age.  
  
"Do you have a menu?"  
  
"Restaurant or bar?"  
  
"Bar." Shinji saw the man pick up a laminated sheet and slide it towards him. Shinji slowly scanned the page, not wanting to seem to be in a hurry.   
  
"Take your time I'll be back."  
  
The menu held a variety of items that Shinji thought were out of place, such as steak and even shrimp. He had been expecting to find the quick to prepare food that they had been eating since getting into Chicago. But as he looked over the choices Shinji glanced over at the over half of the room. It was not a simple bar, but a well-known restaurant, so of course the food at the bar would be better. As he was glancing at the menu for the third time, Shinji felt the pattern of the bar shift. The quiet conversation died and it took on a subdued atmosphere.  
  
He found himself looking up and saw Asuka descending the stairs slowly. Shinji found himself swallowing as he took in the view of his partner dressed up. Again he found himself astonished by the way she seemed to be transformed by simple make-up and jewelry. Not to mention she had again cut and curled her hair so it rested on bare shoulders. His eyes darted to her wrist, seeing it bare of the bracelet he had given her. As he continued to stare Shinji suddenly he had seen of the woman. It wasn't that Asuka was being transformed, but more like she was putting on a mask or raising her defenses. The Asuka who dressed up wasn't the real Asuka and so the mask could be hurt while the real Asuka was protected deep within herself.   
  
The room didn't relax as she was seated, instead the tension grew as some of the patrons walked up to her. From the amount of head shaking and talking that was being done Shinji could guess what was being said. This bar was the prime hunting grounds of the SEELE member and the local women avoided it. As one of the bartenders walked away with a worried and disgusted look on his face Shinji gestured for the man who had given him the menu. Ordering a steak with all the works Shinji waited for the man to leave, but he didn't.  
  
"Long Island, weak."  
  
"Going to be here for a while?"  
  
Shinji tried not to look at Asuka, but they flickered in her direction. "Hopefully not."  
  
"Okay."  
  
- - - -   
  
Asuka tried not to glance at the clock above the bar as she calmly sipped at her drink. The itching between her shoulder blades was driving her crazy as everyone stared at her. She had been very blunt with the last person to come up to her table and want to escort her. Asuka knew why they were doing it and appreciated it but she had a job to do. An escort would just screw up that job and besides she would allow only one person to escort her. Her stomach growled but Asuka ignored it, not wanting anything in her stomach when she killed. She stirred her drink again and almost jumped when a hand rested on her shoulder.  
  
"Is this seat taken?"  
  
Asuka looked up with a retort on her tongue only to find a smile growing. Here was the Honorable Jason Deibel.   
  
"Not for you?"  
  
Her fake smile stayed in place as she watched the man walk over to the other chair and sit down. She couldn't believe that this fat, ugly old man could get any female to go with him to a bedroom. But as two guards took up positions around her Asuka knew that they hadn't gone of their own free will. Picking up her glass Asuka swirled the contents around before swallowing it in one gulp.  
  
"So what are you doing?" asked Asuka in a sweet voice, causing the man to grin.  
  
"Wondering what a gorgeous woman like you is doing alone."  
  
Her stomach churned at his greasy smile and weak pick up line. She had hated them all the way back to when she was piloting. Didn't guys know that things like that was a sure way not to get a date? But Asuka let her smile grow and her eyes widen at the comment, like it had affected her. She saw Shinji glance at her, and Asuka nodded her head slightly.  
  
"Waiting for the right guy."  
  
With that comment the conversation started as to why Jason was the right guy. It lasted for half an hour as Asuka would shoot down his comments and launch some of her own. She didn't want to appear easy, but also not too hard to get. Everything had to go smoothly so he would be lulled in to a false sense of security. It was after another comment about his position in the government and how he could get favors for her that she relented. As she stood one of the guards grabbed her upper arm.  
  
"Sorry," his voice was anything but. "We're going to have to search you."  
  
- - - -  
  
Shinji watched the entire proceeding with a calm eye as Asuka used her charm on the target. For a woman who had been direct with guys she didn't like, Asuka was putting on a good act. As they finally stood Shinji was drinking just water and had finished his meal, waiting for the time to pass. When one of the guards grabbed Asuka he felt a little surprise, and his hand tightened on the glass. As the man ran his hands over her body Shinji felt himself rise out of the chair and the glass drop.   
  
"Don't." A strong hand gripped Shinji's wrist. It was the bartender, who reappeared suddenly.  
  
"Let me go," Shinji growled. Kill the target now and damn the consequences.  
  
The man simply tightened his grip, his voice still quiet. "There is nothing you can do for her."  
  
Shinji tried to keep rising, wanting to get Asuka out of there.  
  
"Stop it." Shinji didn't listen until the man spoke again, "You can't do anything. The third guard would kill you before you could draw."  
  
That stopped Shinji and he followed the bartender's stare to a man who was sitting at a table. He was watching Asuka's group and had started to look at Shinji when he stood up. Slowly sitting Shinji tried to relax hoping Asuka knew what she was doing. Soon the search was completed and the quad walked towards a bank of elevator doors. The third guard didn't leave and Shinji stopped looking at him instead shifting his attention to the bartender. But he was watching Asuka leave sadly, giving in to defeat for the moment.  
  
"How did you know I was armed?" The man shook his head slightly before answering.  
  
"After twenty-five years on the force I can see if someone is packing a gun." Shinji ignored the hand, amazed at how calmly this man was taking this. "I'm Robert."   
  
"The force?"  
  
"Police force." Robert pointed to a plaque on the wall. "Aren't you police or something?" "No."  
  
"So what are you if you're not the law?" He smiled at Shinji's glare. "If you don't mind telling me."  
  
"We're not working for anyone but ourselves, and that's all I'm saying."  
  
Pushing a new drink into Shinji's hand, the man pulled up a stool behind the bar. Grabbing his own drink he stared at Shinji gathering his thoughts.  
  
"That explains the looks you were giving her. Partners on undercover jobs know how to keep cool and hide their emotions" Robert chuckled at Shinji's reaction. "You're good, but have a ways to go before you can hide your emotions."  
  
"She's been the one to hide emotions. I'm still learning."  
  
"Girlfriend or more?"  
  
Shinji smiled sadly and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know since she's always confused me. But I do care about her."  
  
"She feels the same or she wouldn't trust you to back her up."  
  
This time there was no smile from Shinji. "How would you know? My friends could never understand us and I'm to believe you have us figured out in less then an hour."  
  
Robert looked at his half-full bottle of beer like he was lost in thought. Shinji took that time to glance at the man sitting at the table as well as the plaque. He couldn't believe that he was speaking to stranger about his and Asuka's relationship. Or that said relationship was shifting after so many years from a working relationship to closer one but not yet intimate. Shinji felt himself sigh, wondering if it was another fantasy he was having.  
  
"Maybe talking to someone that doesn't know you would help." Shinji carefully set the glass down. "I spent the last three years as a captain and counsel. It won't hurt to talk."  
  
"You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Maybe, maybe not."  
  
Shinji glared at the man. "No."  
  
"It'll help. Trust me." Shinji laughed sharply. "At best it'll get your thoughts organized and maybe you'll figure what you want to do. Even flightless waterfowl need someone to talk to"  
  
Shinji jerked his head up, "What'd you just say?"  
  
"You heard me correctly," Smiling, he continued. "I'll let you decide whether to trust me or not."  
  
The man was relentless but as Shinji looked into those green eyes he felt his resolve wavering. There was understanding in them and Shinji hadn't seen that in anyone except Misato and Asuka. Maybe if he talked to a stranger who hadn't known them before it would help. With a slow start Shinji began his tale making sure to exclude their status of pilots and the bounty on their heads.  
  
- - - -   
  
Asuka tried not to turn and kill the guy as he ran a hand up her leg as they rode the elevator to the top floor. Everything was sickening about him from the way he talked to how he tried to impress her with his power. Asuka simply grinned and took the treatment from this pervert. She knew that once this was over the dress was going into the garbage and she would be taking a long hot soapy bath to wash away his touch. As the doors finally opened she strode out, away from his hand. Smiling to herself she walked to the door that had another guard.   
  
"How many people does he have?" mused Asuka as she waited for the large man to open the door. "Time for a change of plans."  
  
Her original plan had been to poison the Senator and wait for some time to pass before simply walking out of the room and hotel. The minute the guards had shown up at the table, that plan had disappeared. She would still employ the poison and save her strength for taking out the guards until Shinji got worried. Despite the situation Asuka smiled faintly that Shinji had been right about her plan.   
  
Asuka smiled faintly at the absurd layout of the apartment. It was simply a large bedroom with a bathroom off to one side and a well stocked bar. She had a smile on her face as she turned to look at Jason. Asuka was not prepared for the fist that smashed into her cheekbone. Stunned she fell to the floor and lay there for a few moments. Bringing a hand up to her injured cheek Asuka felt her anger rise as she felt warm blood touch her fingers. Standing up she glared at the man who had hit her.  
  
Gone was the greasy, charming man to be replaced by a total lunatic as he gazed upon her bloody face. His eyes seemed to have a crazed gleam to them as he gripped Asuka by her upper arm and shoved her in the direction of the bathroom. Jason Deibel was like a man possessed as he merely looked at her and licked his lips. Asuka felt a little afraid with this man as what information they had dug up on him was coming true. As he raised his hand again she defensively lowered her head, not looking at him. The blow stung but it wasn't as bad as the first.  
  
"Get cleaned up quickly." He started removing his jacket. "And make sure you're properly attired."  
  
Asuka quickly moved into the bathroom and locked the door. Taking some deep breaths she slowed her breathing down and forced back some anger. Walking over to the mirror she quickly assessed the damage to her body. The two punches had split open her cheek and blood was trickling down her pink flesh. Turning on the water she quickly cleaned up her wounds with a damp towel.   
  
"So he wants to play does he? Well then, I'll play his game for now."  
  
If Shinji had been in the room he would have backed away in fear at how dangerous Asuka looked. She looked like a wolf finding a meal coming to it and wanting to play with it before killing. Stripping out of her green evening dress she carefully folded it up and sat it on a cabinet. Her slip came next, but she wore her panties after retrieving the vial. Wrapping a towel around her torso she took a moment to stare at the vial of clear liquid.   
  
"Hope you'll enjoy hell."   
  
With that said she walked out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. Asuka briefly closed her eyes and turned towards the bar, her body hiding the vial. What she had seen further lowered her opinion of the man and his tastes. His flabby body was covered in a multitude of scars made from fingernails scratching him. Also there were tattoos depicting perverse sexual acts on his chest. Asuka felt his eyes following her movements as he sat on the bed. Moving slowly she made a Long Island, letting the smells of the alcohol fill her before pouring the contents of the vial in the drink. Swirling the glass around Asuka left the vial in the sink and walked over to the man.  
  
"Thanks bitch."   
  
Jason grabbed the drink and chugged it, throwing the empty glass at her feet and reached for Asuka's towel. But she danced out of his reach, the fake smile and warmth gone from her face.  
  
"Get over here," he ordered.  
  
"No." The man sat there confused, looking at her. Asuka was mentally counting down the time before he died. But she knew she could torment the man for what he had done to her and others.   
  
"Tell me how much of a man does it take to beat up a woman and have his guards rape her?"  
  
The Senator had a smile on his face as he continued to stare at Asuka, "Don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Or what was your reaction when you heard Kimio was dead."  
  
This finally drew a reaction from the man as he launched himself off of the bed straight at her. With all her strength she sent a kick into his side, hearing his breath forced out of him. But it wasn't enough to stop his mass of over two hundred pounds as his fist impacted on Asuka. Stunned, Asuka's own fist connected with his jaw as he over extended and she finished by driving an elbow into his back. Recovering slowly, he glared at her from his hands and knees.  
  
"Guards," His shout barely began as Asuka's foot connected with his jaw.   
  
But it was a mistake on her part as it brought her closer to the man she was killing. With a cry she was jerked towards him as he rose up and sunk his fist into her ribs. Asuka's vision darkened as she heard and felt a couple ribs break as he repeated his attacks. Shaking her head she kneed the Senator in the crotch as he finally regained his footing and drove her free hand into his elbow. As the man screamed in pain, she stepped away from him, circling the room.   
  
Blood streamed down his chin from his damaged mouth, but this didn't stop the Senator from grinning wildly. Even as his breath became ragged, his eyes held a berserker light in them as he feinted in towards Asuka. With a grin Asuka took another step back from her target, only to feel the bar top hit her in the lower back. Deibel grinned and crossed the distance in a few steps, fists already in motion.  
  
"Ahh," Cried Asuka as her back was arched painfully.   
  
With a hard punch the Senator sent a fist crashing into Asuka's abdomen, causing pain to shoot through her body, but it was only a start. Fists thudded into her hips, and all over Asuka's body. As he reared back to hit her again, Asuka lashed out with her fist and connected with the Jason's nose. With more blood flowing down his face he just smiled and sent a fist into her jaw. With her vision swimming Asuka still fought, fingers racking his arms and then searching for his eyes. Asuka could only bite back her cries of pain at first, but that soon turned into just whimpers and tears ran down her cheeks. Her searching fingers found a bundle of nerves and jabbed deep into it, giving her a break from the fight to breathe and punch him hard in the sternum. During her assault Asuka cracked an injured eye to stare at the man. A faint smile formed on her face.  
  
"What did you do?" The man could hardly breath. "What did you do?"  
  
Asuka couldn't say anything or move as he picked her up and slammed her against the nearby wall, his hands wrapped around her throat. She was weakening fast and could barely do anything, hating herself for this stupid plan. Asuka's throat burned as she gasped for air and bile came up from her stomach. She hoped that Shinji would come to her rescue, her own shining knight. She had always loved that part of him though she told him the opposite. He was a person who was caring enough to risk dying so that she would live. As her vision started to fade Asuka could only think of that young man who had grown on her.  
  
"Shinji."  
  
- - - -  
  
A hand brushed back a sleeve to look at a watch for the tenth time in half an hour. Shinji cursed as he finally stood up and walked away from the bar. Something was wrong he reasoned and nothing would stop him from confirming his hunch. He saw the last guard get up and follow him as he turned down the hall towards the bank of elevator doors. With a grim smile and slow movements Shinji un-holstered one of his pistols. Walking down the hall Shinji tested each door until he found an unlocked one and walked in, waiting.  
  
The guard rushed towards the last place the young man had been seen. He had strict orders not to allow anyone to disturb the Senator during his fun. As the man strode to the elevators a hand reached out and grabbed him around the neck. A foot caused him to fall to his knees, while the cold touch of a pistol barrel pressed against his temple.  
  
"Where is she?" Shinji growled in the man's ear.   
  
"Don't know who you're talking about." The arm around his neck constricted.  
  
"The redhead. Where is she?" When the man didn't say anything Shinji moved the pistol from the man's temple to his calf. The man's screams and the gunshot reverberated off the rooms walls as the man lost a chunk of his calf.   
  
"I'm not in the mood to play games. You can live or die slowly, it does not matter to me."   
  
The whites of the man's eyes were showing as he nodded his understanding and Shinji yanked him to his feet. With each passing moment Shinji was feeling detached from his body, like something was controlling him. It was like when his EVA went berserk during the Angels, killing them and him having no memory. Everyone had blamed it on the EVA but as the feeling grew now Shinji realized that he was the berserker. But now it did not scare him, he would use it to his advantage. He roughly pushed the man into the first elevator that was empty, running on autopilot.  
  
"What floor?"  
  
The man was growing pale but he was still coherent. "Top floor, third door on the left."  
  
"Thanks." With that Shinji punched the floor below the suites.  
  
The journey proceeded quietly as the man was bent over his hands cupped around his leg. He didn't have anything to attack this kid with since his pistol had been taken. Also the kid was watching him like a hawk and the barrel never wavered from his chest. With barely a jerk the elevator stopped at the correct floor and Shinji stepped partially out. Reaching back in, Shinji hit the top floor button and raised his pistol.  
  
"Sorry." The man looked up as Shinji triggered two rounds next to the man's head. - - - -   
  
Asuka awoke with a gasp, her breath ragged as she sucked in lungfuls of air. There was a crushing pressure on her legs and the hands around her throat were gone, but she didn't move. Instead she just looked at the plain white ceiling through tear clouded eyes as pain radiated through her body. Her joints screamed in pain as she tried to roll to one side, but couldn't and then she threw up. By the third dry heave she became aware of a sickening smell filling the room from right in front of her. With horror on her face she saw that Deibel had collapsed and died on her lower body. Straining Asuka pushed, and then kicked the body off of her before standing, and moved a short distance away.  
  
"Serves you right you asshole."  
  
Jason Deibel had died with surprise and pain etched on his face as his respiratory system failed. The nerve toxin had caused his body to constrict in painful seizures before all the muscles died. Asuka wrinkled her nose at the smell of bodily fluids and feces coming from the corpse. Of course that would be normal for all dead bodies, but it seemed poetic justice to Asuka that a predator had died laying in his own waste.  
  
Without a second glance Asuka stepped around the body and dropped the soiled towel onto the floor. Her spine cracked and she winced at the pain and noise, but forced her body to keep moving. The door was not that thick and she could hear the guards commenting on how fun she would be. With slow steps she walked back into the bathroom to dress and leave as quick as possible. She was feeling light-headed again and didn't want the guards to find her unconscious. Asuka avoided looking in the mirror afraid of what she would see, instead she slowly and painfully dressed. She knew that Shinji was going to lecture her when he saw her again and this time she would apologize for what she put him through.  
  
- - - -   
  
The three guards standing outside the door tried not to show their boredom. The sounds of the beating had stopped coming through the door almost ten minutes ago, but the boss hadn't come to tell them that it was their turn. A man had to have a strong stomach to rape a battered woman, but these guards had been with the Senator for years. The senior ranking bodyguard was about to open the door to see if everything was all right when the report of a gun being fired came from the elevator.  
  
Without a word the guards moved to take up positions around the elevator and the suite door. A low beep announced the arrival of the elevator and when the doors opened the three guards opened fire with submachine guns. The other guard died in a hail of bullets from his compatriots. Holes and blood covered the back of the elevator as the man slid to the floor.  
  
"Stop!" The leader motioned for one of his lieutenants to inspect the body.  
  
By the time they recognized the sound of the stairwell door opening it was too late. Shinji came at them from the back and off to one side with a pistol firing. The guards were good, but they had only begun to turn around when the rounds pierced their body armor and mushroomed inside their bodies. The bodies danced from the impacts and fingers tightened on triggers, emptying magazines into nearby walls. The man in the elevator had almost completed replacing his magazine when two cylindrical objects landed at his feet and the door closed. The doors flexed as the concussion devices went off in the enclosed space.  
  
Two shots into the remaining guards heads insured that they were truly dead. Replacing his spent magazine Shinji went through the pockets of the two corpses, not caring that he had become an expert in that area. In less then a minute Shinji found the electronic key and walked to the door, one pistol ready for use. Easing the key into the lock he was rewarded by a click of the lock being released. With a gentle push he opened the door and looked in, but found the room dark. Quickly stepping in and off to the side, Shinji found arms wrapping themselves around him, pulling him close. He jerked free and his gun coming up.  
  
"Asuka, what." He trailed off as he saw the damage to his partner. The light from the hallway illuminated her face. Shinji wasn't prepared for the crushing hug she gave him or her crying.  
  
"Shinji, please get me home." Asuka's voice was weak and strained.  
  
Wrapping an arm around Asuka, Shinji supported her weight as she stumbled down the hall. Instead of taking the elevator Shinji walked them to the farthest stairway, but just as he was about to open the door the fire alarm sounded. Easing Asuka down the stairs took over twenty minutes, but by the time they reached the bottom the first of the fire trucks were arriving. In the ensuing mess and panic Shinji guided Asuka over to their car and drove away.   
  
- - - -  
  
Pain shot up Shinji's arm as his hand clenched into a tight fist for what could have been the one hundredth time in two days. He looked down and willed the hand to open so as not to hurt himself. The image that stared back at him from the mirror was one of a zombie. In the last two days he might have gotten a total of six hours of sleep. The death of Senator Jason Deibel had created an uproar and he had spent the nights awake, and wondering when the door would crash open. But that event never did happen.  
  
Filling a bowl with lukewarm water, Shinji grabbed some more towels from the cabinet. Walking out of the bathroom he strode towards the bed and its single occupant. With care he set the bowl down and sat in his chair next to the bed like he had for the last days. Reaching out he brushed auburn hair off of Asuka's forehead, his touch causing her to mumble. It was only that mumbling that was keeping him sane, and the fact that she tossed and turned in her sleep. Getting a towel damp, Shinji placed it on her forehead and used another one to wash her face and neck.  
  
Asuka had stayed coherent and conscious long enough to walk into the elevator at their hotel and to tell him about her ribs. She had then collapsed and been carried by Shinji into their apartment. Since then Shinji had cleaned the blood off of her and tended to her split skin. He had also exchanged her dress for a large T-shirt, but not before wrapping her ribs. Since then he had simply watched over her, talking to her every now and then. It was to tell her that she wasn't alone, and not the pleading of when she had been catatonic.  
  
"Why does everything happen to you?" whispered Shinji, still looking at the sleeping woman. "It's not fair."  
  
The smaller bruises were already an ugly yellow and blue color, but the others were different. Finger impressions were still visible around her throat, and one eye was black from a glancing blow. Shinji had been disgusted at the abuse her body had taken from the man, throwing up from the sight. After that he had covered her up and not looked at the injuries. Not to mention that some of her nails had broken off, leaving her fingers bloody. Shinji knew that the death of Deibel would not haunt him like Kimio's had for several weeks. Kimio had been a corrupt businessman, but Deibel had truly been a monster that deserved to die. "Please wake up."  
  
Shinji put the towel down and gripped one of Asuka's injured hands in his own. Smooth unbroken skin rested in the palm of his hand as he slowly stroked the top of her hand. Asuka's hand tightened around his, causing Shinji to look up, expecting to see sky blue eyes looking at him. Instead her eyes remained shut, one of them swollen from a blow to the orbit. He was worried and scared, not sure how badly she had been injured internally or if she had just been exhausted after her ordeal. Sure she had been wounded before, but she was usually on her feet within a day. Even the knife wound hadn't kept her down from the blood loss or infection.  
  
Gently Shinji released Asuka's hand, looking at her and sighing. Without any nervousness he bent down and gave her soft kiss on the cheek. Pulling back he smiled faintly, and stood up to walk to the kitchen area to get something to drink. It was his quest to quench his thirst that caused Shinji to miss Asuka's whispering of his name and her eyes opening with pain.   
  
Asuka lay there looking up at the ceiling as she brought a hand up to touch the cheek Shinji had kissed. She couldn't remember the last two days at all, but had been drifting in and out of consciousness for a few hours. Asuka noted that her injuries no longer shot pain through her body at any movement. Instead everything was a dull ache or throb as she threw back the covers as best she could. A couple kicks and she sat up, swinging her feet over the edge of the bed and then standing.  
  
"Don't be a wimp Asuka," She growled to herself as her head swam, threatening to make her fall.  
  
With each step her dizziness ebbed and finally disappeared as she reached the door and pulled it open. A breeze was drifting through the apartment as Shinji had the balcony doors open and was looking out across the lake. Asuka couldn't help but shiver as the cool air drifted across her bare legs. She studied him as she made her way to the open doors. He was leaning against the railing and was staring out across the lake watching a light snowfall. With barely a sound she crossed to the open doors and stood behind him, a small smile on her face   
  
"Do I look like your mother?" Shinji jumped at the unexpected voice, and spun. Asuka was behind him, one hand on a hip staring at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
Asuka sighed and stepped closer. "Do I look like your mother or am I a relative?"  
  
Shinji stood there wondering what she was getting at, even as she flicked his forehead with a finger.  
  
"Of course not." How could she think she looked like his mother? Shinji glanced over Asuka's figure under the T-shirt. There was no way he could have mixed the two of them up in a crowd.  
  
"Then why'd you kiss me like we're related?" Asuka stepped closer and reached out with her hands to grip his hands. "The cheek, how lame Shinji."  
  
"Ahh, I didn't want to steal a kiss from you." Before he could say anything else Asuka leaned in and pressed her lips against his. He was mildly surprised as Asuka wrapped her hands around his neck, not letting go. It took Shinji a few seconds to catch up before he put his arms around her waist. A little moan came from their lips causing them to enjoy the kiss even more. Both felt that it ended to soon as they drew apart.  
  
"Much better Shinji," Asuka whispered still lost in the feeling of the kiss.  
  
Shinji could only nod his head as he stared into Asuka's eyes. He loved her eyes and how they showed her emotions. Even now, with one eye blackened she was still beautiful in his eyes. As he thought that Shinji felt himself reacting to her closeness and warmth from her body. Drawing back he made sure that he didn't do anything stupid or foolish.  
  
He needed to know something, "Asuka, what's happening with us?"   
  
"We'll talk later." She put a finger against his lips as he tried to speak. "I said we'd talk later."  
  
"Sorry." Asuka threw up her hands in disgust or tried to at the very least. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and rubbed them.   
  
"I don't know why I still put up with you."  
  
"Anyways how long was I out?"  
  
"Two days."  
  
Asuka spun around, feeling her head spin; looking for a clock and when she didn't find one she turned back to Shinji. "What time is it?"  
  
"Eight-thirty."  
  
"Eight-thirty! Have you done anything?" Asuka saw Shinji shake his head no. "Idiot, how stupid are you?"  
  
"But."  
  
"Never mind. I'll be back." With that said, Asuka turned and started to walk back into the bedroom. "Stop staring at me and call room service. A couple bottles of champagne along with steak and lobster."  
  
Shinji walked off the balcony and into the living area, striding towards the phone. As he ordered, he heard the bath start up, glad that it took his mind off of the price of the meals. Before he hung up he remembered a small detail about champagne and added that one item to the list. Walking over to the bedroom door he found it locked, so he returned to the where the television was located. Flipping it on, he ran through the channels looking for any more information about the manhunt looking for them, and finding nothing. There were no witnesses from the bar or even the hotel, which was odd. Even all the security recordings had been lost between the hotel and the police station. The only thing he could find was that many people were relieved to hear about the death.  
  
An hour and a half later the buzzer for the door rang, breaking Shinji out of his reverie. Slipping a jacket he walked towards the door, opening it slowly. Outside were two men with carts filled with the ordered dinner. Ushering them Shinji had them leave the carts just inside the door before tipping them as they left. He checked under each cart and the lids to make sure everything was safe.  
  
"Asuka." His voice died as she saw her standing at the couch. He just swallowed as he just looked.  
  
"I bought this for tonight." Asuka felt her cheeks warm under a blush. "I wanted to have dinner and night out at one of the clubs." She bowed her head and continued in a softer voice, "But I didn't expect to get beat up so much and didn't want you to get blamed if we went out. I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry, and besides you're beautiful."   
  
Asuka was wearing a pale blue evening dress that was being held up by thin spaghetti straps. It only came to her knees, but the slits up the sides showed off her wonderful legs. Shinji somehow was able to grab one of the buckets containing the champagne and still look at Asuka. The bath had done wonders, as her skin no longer was that pale instead her tan showed through. The only make-up she was wearing covered up the bruises on her body. But what made Shinji happy was that the silver bracelet was back on her wrist. - - - -  
  
As Shinji popped the cork on one of the bottles, another group of people were meeting. Nine black monoliths met where there used to be twelve. The missing members played on each members mind as they argued and planned.  
  
SEELE 12: Another year has passed without our scenarios coming true. I grow tired of waiting, as death gets closer.  
  
SEELE 07: Events are fast spiraling out of our control, Kihl. After years of security we find ourselves under attack.  
  
SEELE 11: Two important members dead in such a short time frame. The power and money they provided will soon be felt.   
  
Kihl: What we lost is no longer important as all pieces have been in place for years.  
  
SEELE 04: Don't try and down play what is happening. We have become targets and the killers slipped past security with ease. We can't hide in NERV headquarters like you, Kihl.  
  
Kihl: My men are taking care of that problem as we speak.  
  
SEELE 09: That is not what my agents have told me. The weapons dealer, that we traced the explosives back to, detonated a stockpile of explosives when we tried to capture him. And if facts are to be believed the leader of the most powerful syndicate was found with his throat slit in the Chicago River yesterday. Someone is cleaning up  
  
Kihl: I suggest that we concentrate more on finding the Children. The older they get, the harder it will be to implement our scenarios with them. And I think once we find them we will find the killers. SEELE 02: Are you suggesting they are the killers? Impossible, their psychological reports indicate that they don't have the mindset or will for murder.  
  
Kihl: They have been out of our control for years. Those reports are no longer relevant to the current situation. Not to mention that Gendo Ikari had known all of us, and if he had somehow passed that information on to his son.  
  
The room grew quiet as the members thought on that idea.  
  
Kihl: Instead of worrying about the killings I suggest that we start planning on how to capture the pilots. Once we possess them we can finally realize our dreams.  
  
- - - -  
  
Asuka lazily stretched out in the cushioned chair watching as fireworks burst over the lake. The doors were open behind them and a warm draft floated over them and made the balcony comfortable, even with the snow. She reached over to refill her glass from the second bottle of champagne and also to snag a strawberry. As she ate the fruit and sipped from her glass she looked at Shinji from the corner of her eyes. He was just as lazy as she was at the moment as he stared out at the fiery display. She smiled faintly, remembering how Shinji had tried to keep her from drinking too much, saying that she was still injured.  
  
"Asuka, can I get a promise from you?"  
  
"Depends," she stated as she finished the strawberry and placed her glass down. Standing up she took a couple steps over to his chair. "What kind of promise do you want?"  
  
"Well, ahh." Shinji tried not looking down Asuka's dress as she bent over. The locket he had given her as a present hit his forehead and he raised his eyes to hers.  
  
"No more solo missions."  
  
"Is this about what happened?" She grinned at his reaction to her dress. It made her feel special that even after he had seen her nude so many times that he didn't think of her as an object. "Yes."  
  
"It cuts down our choices."  
  
"I don't care. What happens next time if you can't get to me or vice versa?"  
  
Asuka smiled at Shinji as she leaned closer. But as he looked hard into her eyes, she stopped teasing him. "Nothing I say will change your mind, right?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"Idiot."   
  
She stopped leaning over him and turned around, walking the short distance to the railing. As she leaned on the railing Asuka could feel Shinji studying her. Asuka knew that he had a valid point of what could happen on future missions. Closing her eyes she tried not to think of what would have happened if the poison hadn't worked or if the guards had found her unconscious or if Shinji hadn't come to get her. A light touch to her back felt nice as Shinji held her.  
  
"So it's a promise."  
  
"Yes, my knight." Her voice was quiet whisper.  
  
Shinji waited; surprised at that comment thinking that Asuka had just teased him. But she didn't correct herself or expand on what she meant by that statement. Instead she slowly reached up to clasp her locket in her hand and opened it with a touch. Shinji already knew that his and her portraits had been molded into the locket, one on each half. The reaction from her had been the same as when she had received the silver bracelet. A restrained happiness with mild shock had showed up on her face. She felt him run his hand down the middle of her back before stopping at her waist. Shinji had always been easy to read and so Asuka knew what he was going to ask her.  
  
"It's later, do you want to explain what's happening." Shinji felt Asuka sigh in frustration.  
  
"Are you that dense?" "No, but I want to know if I'm just deluding myself."  
  
Asuka frowned at that comment, "And why would you be doing that?"  
  
This time she felt Shinji tremble in anger. "Can't you be serious about this Asuka?" Before he could move away she gripped his hand. "I mean we've been together for seven years. The last five we've been on the run from SEELE and during that time we stuck strictly to a working relationship. Now in the last two months we've done more kissing then in past years combined."  
  
"Do you hate it that much?"  
  
"No, I just want to know if we're just doing it as a form of release. Or to hide the fact that we could die at any moment."  
  
"Are we?" Asuka shook her head in the negative. "Can you honestly say that this is wrong? What we're doing or feeling is just a dream to escape reality?" She looked at Shinji as she spoke, "You can only bury emotions and feelings for so long. Sooner or later they'll come to the surface and you can either accept or walk away from them. We would have had to journey down this path sometime in the future."  
  
"Sooner is better then later?"  
  
"Or before it's too late."  
  
Shinji gripped Asuka's hand tighter as the final of the display started over the lake, lighting up the snow in a multitude of colors. Smiling, Asuka leaned her head on Shinji's shoulder and stayed there feeling content to do nothing else for a few moments. Despite her words she was a little apprehensive of what would come out of their closer relationship. Yes, she had talked about families and a normal life, but what did they know of families or normal lives. All they could do was try and hope it worked out in the future.  
  
* * * *  
  
I still suck at endings as they always seem abrupt or don't end the chapter in a nice little package. That will have to change when I reach the end of story.   
  
I tried to give more detail to Asuka/Shinji's growing relationship from where it had changed in chapter 3. I also tried to keep them from going the route of instant love as TommyRude has stated is the death of many WAFF stories and I agree with him.   
  
Those that had read this chapter before will notice the changes in the scene with Asuka and the Senator. The original chapter was darker with some things happening that upset some of my readers. I decided that maybe that scene really didn't fit with prior chapters or the way of the story was written up to that point so I rewrote it.   
  
C&C at eva_pilot9@secondimpact.com 


	5. Loss

Started on February 11, 2002 and finished on March 15, 2002.  
  
The Game: Loss v3.0  
  
Red Horseman  
  
  
There is no hunting like the hunting of man,   
and those who have hunted armed men long enough   
and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.  
---Ernest Hemingway  
  
* * * *  
  
The forest appeared to be a dream or maybe even a painting as the ground had   
a thin cover of snow, while fog floated between the trunks. Ancient trees reached  
for the blue sky as younger saplings staked out their own territory. A stream   
gurgled as it tumbled over rocks in its bed as it had done for many centuries.   
The sounds of wildlife could be heard as birds sung, and the sounds of both   
predator and prey broke the silence. But the sounds of nature were rudely   
interrupted as human voices echoed through the forest. What had once shown signs   
of life was now dead.  
  
Two shadows moved silently and quickly from tree to tree, only stopping   
intermittently to listen for any sounds of pursuit. Despite their apparent need   
for speed the pair chose where they stepped carefully and expertly, leaving a   
minimum of tracks on the forest floor. Neither spoke as they stopped next to the   
stream, with the sun on their faces, and stopped to catch their breath. Without   
any signal both of them started up the rocky incline in front of them. As they   
crested the top of small elevation both dropped to their stomachs and faced the   
way they had come from.  
  
"Think we lost them?" asked Shinji as he took slow breaths to slow his   
heartbeat down. He ignored the burning sensation on his left hand as he scanned   
the trees.  
  
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Of course not! They're too determined for us to  
lose or haven't the last two hours convinced you of that?" Asuka clenched her   
fist and frowned in anger. "I'm going to kill Kenji when this is all over. This   
is the second time this has happened to us to be coincidence."  
  
"It's not his fault," Shinji replied quietly. "Since they doubled the bounty on   
our heads I'm sure that finding reliable people has been a problem." He slowly   
reached into one of his pockets for his handkerchief, hoping Asuka wouldn't   
notice.  
  
"That is no excuse. It's our lives that are on the line here, not his." With   
a grab she snatched the cloth out of his hand. "And what's the matter with you?"  
  
Not saying anything he raised his left hand that had a bloody streak where a   
bullet had grazed. He wouldn't have done anything since it was one of most minor   
injuries he had received in years, but it burned and itched like crazy. Shinji   
followed Asuka as she motioned for him to move behind a dead tree so that they   
both could sit up. Using quick precise movements she cleaned the wound of dried   
blood and other material before wrapping the cloth around the wound. Asuka didn't  
remove her hand for a few moments, but when she did the both of them locked eyes.  
  
Slowly Shinji traced a small scar on her cheek. He stopped when she flinched at  
the light touch. "What's wrong Asuka?"   
  
"Nothing," She averted her eyes, then sighed at his expression. "Just memories,  
okay." Asuka stopped and studied the trees. "They're here."  
  
Slowly they both went prone again and crawled to the crest to survey what was  
in front of them. Asuka felt the tension in her body grow as the seconds turned   
into minutes and the silence of the forest deepened. But still she did nothing   
except study what was in front of her hoping that Shinji or herself caught some   
sign of their pursuers before it was too late. Swallowing to keep her throat   
moist she placed the submachine gun's sling over her head and shoulder. Out of   
the corner of her eye she saw Shinji reach under his coat and pull out his   
combat knife. Following his example she placed her knife in front of her,   
flexing her hands to work the tension and cold out of them. Just as Asuka was   
going to signal a retreat their patience was rewarded.  
  
Out of the trees six shadows advanced with guns drawn and heads in continual   
motion as the worked their way towards the stream. All were dressed in battle   
dress uniforms of forest design and had goggles covering their eyes. One member   
of the group studied the ground where Asuka and Shinji had crossed before   
standing and looking up the hill. With quiet commands the hunters split into two   
groups with one advancing straight ahead while the other group moved into a   
flanking position. The first group advanced one at a time while the other two   
covered the first soldier, while the second section advanced in a triangle to   
maximize coverage.  
  
Asuka did not miss any of this as she gripped Shinji's shoulder, getting his   
attention. With a motion of her head, she signaled a retreat from the edge of   
the elevation. As they retreated backwards Shinji angled towards the flanking   
group, which drew a curious look from Asuka. Moving closer to the woman Shinji   
positioned himself so he could talk to her.  
  
"They're more spread out," he explained in a whisper. "If we keep retreating   
we'll lose."  
  
"I know that, idiot!" Asuka blushed as her voice rose. Sighing she reached   
down and held his hand for a moment. "Remember to aim high. They're probably   
wearing body armor."  
  
Shinji didn't say anything, only giving her a smile as he rose up and waited   
for her. As soon she was parallel to him, but a few feet away, he started forward  
at a fast pace weaving in and out of the trees. His course moved them away from   
the advancing group and across the front of the flanking section, but Shinji   
didn't stop. Keeping the flanking hunters in his peripheral vision he started   
down the hill wanting to come at them from the same elevation. A flash of auburn   
told him that Asuka had figured out his plan and started her attack.  
  
Picking up his pace he picked out the person on lower on the hill as his   
target. Gripping the knife tighter, Shinji half slid and ran towards the man   
while trying to keep his profile low to the ground. The man's head whipped   
towards Shinji as he gave up any attempts at stealth. Eyes widened in shock  
but training took over as the man pivoted and brought up his gun. Shinji went   
flat and slid in the mud as a bullet cracked over his head. Coming to his feet   
Shinji sprinted as fast as he could, reaching the man as another shot rang off   
to his side only to be replaced by a scream. With his free hand Shinji grabbed   
his target's wrist that was holding the gun, his momentum carrying him past and   
behind the target. Continuing his arc Shinji brought his knife up and plunged it  
into the throat of his victim. Cartilage crunched as he twisted the blade and   
warm fluid covered his hand a moment later.   
  
Dropping the body, Shinji sprinted towards the location of the last member of  
the flanking party. He braced for the shock of impact when he saw his target in   
a shooter's stance and perfectly calm. A shot rang out and Shinji flinched   
thinking he had been hit, but instead the man's head jerked back with a red mist   
surrounding it. Turning he saw Asuka glaring down at him with a pistol in her   
hand before she started jogging towards him. Without a word they started downhill  
towards the stream and forest, hoping they could get to cover before the advance   
party knew what had happened. As they crossed the stream a volley of bullets   
kicked up water and dirt, chasing them behind the trunk of a mature tree.  
  
"They're toying with us," growled Asuka as dirt was thrown up from around her   
foot as she tried to move.  
  
"One's stayed up there," stated Shinji as he moved closer to Asuka.   
  
Running a hand through her dirty hair Asuka sighed, "I know and that means   
we're going to have to split up. I'll go west and you go east, then we'll meet   
at the top for the last guy." The firing stopped as the gunner replaced his empty  
magazine. "Go!"  
  
Shinji sprinted deeper into the forest, before heading in an easterly   
direction, then slowing to a steady walk. Keeping the stream and hill to his   
right side Shinji started a search pattern. He went from tree to tree, always   
circling it before stopping and listening for any signs of a follower. His   
caution grew as this went on for sometime without any signs of his hunter.   
Deciding that the man must have used the stream to move Shinji crossed to the   
opposite side and started walking towards his former position. Approaching a   
pile of rubble Shinji knelt down and examined the ground for any kind of marks   
to note the passing of a man. He looked up as a shadow fell over him in time to   
see a fist flying towards him.  
  
Reacting quickly Shinji tucked his chin and rolled with the punch, resulting   
in him ending up in the cold water. Shaking his head and coughing up water he   
tried to see where his attacker was going to come from. But the man had moved   
during the time Shinji was in the water and landed a blow to Shinji's abdomen.   
The impact knocked the breath out him, but Shinji grabbed the bigger man's arms   
and pulled while ducking. As the man was pulled forward and down Shinji   
reversed directions and lunged upwards causing his head to connect with the   
man's lower jaw. Repeated blows to his ribs slowed Shinji down as he tried to   
land a blow to the bigger man's knee, but the slippery rocks threatened to  
topple him. Retreating Shinji stayed out of arms reach and bided his time.   
As his opponent grew frustrated and charged, Shinji dropped to a crouch and   
swept the man's legs out from underneath him. Standing Shinji walked over to  
the downed man who wasn't moving, but breathing. Coming to a decision Shinji  
lifted his foot up before bringing it down on the man's throat. Patiently   
Shinji watched the death throes as his opponent tried to breathe through a   
crushed windpipe. When the thrashing stopped and blood seeped down a cheek,   
Shinji turned and started towards the top of the hill.  
  
- - - -  
  
"So did we get all of them?" asked Shinji as they looked towards a clearing   
where two vehicles waited for their passengers.  
  
"I think so, but I didn't exactly have time for a body count at the start of   
this ordeal." Asuka flinched as his hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Are you   
sure you're okay?"  
  
"Yes." Came the simple reply from the young man.  
  
"You look like shit."   
  
Asuka turned and looked Shinji over, paling slightly at what she saw from the   
prior fight. His clothes were caked with a combination of blood and mud, while   
gashes showed red skin underneath. His normally light brown hair had a reddish   
hue to it and was matted down with blood from a scalp wound. That same wound had  
left a streak down the side of face. All this had come from the chase and fight   
with the last hunter as he tried to escape.  
  
"Well you don't look any better, but that isn't the issue."   
  
Nodding Asuka grabbed his arm. "Let's go."  
  
Asuka watched Shinji move towards the van where the ambush had come from,   
while she moved to her vehicle. With submachine ready she slowly walked around   
the car, noting the various footsteps around it. Continuing to circle Asuka   
moved towards the rear door on the driver's side. Keeping as much metal between   
her and any hidden person she threw open the door, scanning the interior over   
the gun sights she found unmarked leather. Repeating the same for the front   
compartment of the car showed no damage. Checking the various smudges on the   
body revealed no hidden devices. Smiling she closed the door and turned towards   
where Shinji would be checking out the van. The smile disappeared and the metal   
stock rested against her shoulder.  
  
"Drop the gun Ms. Soryu," a woman requested quietly. "And I won't have to do   
anything to Mr. Ikari here."  
  
Asuka smirked and shifted to her left, causing Shinji's captor to turn with   
her. "You can't do anything to us. The bounty is for us to be alive, not dead."  
  
The woman's eyes narrowed and she gave Asuka a dangerous smile. Asuka watched   
for any signs of weakness as her finger threatened to tighten on the trigger.   
From the bulky clothes that the woman was wearing Asuka surmised that she was   
wearing body armor and knew that she would only have one shot. Asuka continued   
to move hoping to get the sun behind her and blind the person in front of her.   
She stopped when the woman removed the gun from Shinji's temple and jammed it   
into his back, causing Shinji to flinch.  
  
"Alive, yes but not uninjured." The woman gripped Shinji tighter. "Shinji   
doesn't have to walk for me to get the money. So the choice is yours. Surrender  
and maybe you'll escape your fate or let Shinji be paralyzed."  
  
Asuka blanched for a moment and when she spoke it was with ice in her voice.   
She tried to ignore the look from Shinji, knowing what he must be seeing. "The   
second you pull that trigger you're dead. I won't let you live, no matter what   
it costs me."  
  
"Pretty brave when it's your partner's life at stake." The woman jerked   
Shinji's head up by his hair. "What do you say Shinji?"  
  
He gave Asuka a small reassuring smile. "I don't really care what you do. But   
no matter what happens there will only be one outcome." Shinji turned his head   
looking out of the corner of his eye, and his voice was ice. "You'll be dead."  
  
"Fool!"  
  
Tears slid down Asuka's cheeks as her finger tightened on the trigger. All   
senses were centered on keeping the woman's head centered in the sights. At the   
last moment all emotions drained from Asuka as the breaking pressure was reached,  
nothing was in front of her except a target. Shots rang out at so close together   
that they sounded as one. The woman's head disappeared in a cloud of blood and   
gray matter, splattering the van as Asuka watched Shinji's body crumple to the   
ground. Dropping her gun Asuka ran over to the bodies, cradling Shinji's head in   
her arms.  
  
"Shinji! Come on, wake up." Tears came faster as she got no response. "You  
can't just die on me! We've been through too much for this to happen." Her  
grip tightened, drawing them closer. Asuka's voice dropped to a whisper,   
"Please, just wake up."  
  
But nothing happened as she continued to cry and hold his body. As the sun   
continued to drop lower and the shadows deepened she finally concluded that he   
was gone. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she leaned back against the cold   
metal of the van, drained of any energy. Asuka closed her eyes as her tears   
slowed to a trickle, but she still did not let go of Shinji's body. Her heart   
almost stopped almost stopped as a hand gripped hers tightly. Looking down she   
saw deep blue eyes staring calmly into hers. With a grimace Shinji reached up   
and stroked her cheek.  
  
"I'm sorry. I made you cry." His voice was a combination of pain and caring.  
  
- - - -   
  
"So why didn't you tell me you were wearing those extra pieces of armor?"   
inquired Asuka as she sat next to Shinji on their bed.   
  
In her lap was a bowl of warm water, while another bowl held some bloody   
bandages. She grimaced at the sight of Shinji's lower back as she cleaned up the   
split skin. The armor had denied the bullet any penetration, but had barely   
slowed down its velocity. The result was a massive bruise as the energy was   
spread out over a larger area and resulting in multiple small tears in Shinji's   
skin. The tears had bled profusely causing Asuka to believe that the damage had   
been much worse. Though he said that he could feel everything in his legs Asuka   
worried that some damage would show up later.  
  
"I did many times, especially after that incident in Budapest. But you've   
been distracted. Ow!" Shinji flinched as Asuka applied more pressure than   
necessary. "Be careful. Please."  
  
Asuka placed the bandage she had been using into the bowl and reached for a   
clean roll. "Sorry that I'm not perfect." She finished her work and pulled   
Shinji's shirt down. "I'm done."  
  
"Look none of what's happened is your fault," Shinji stated as he rolled onto   
his side. "I am not going to say I know what you're feeling, but I can guess."   
He reached over and rested his hand on top of her hand. "Tell me what is wrong,   
please."  
  
"I can't," whispered Asuka as she turned her head. "At least not yet."  
  
Shinji guessed. "Is it your mother?"  
  
Shifting her hand Asuka intertwined her fingers with his, but didn't say   
anything. Instead she opted just to nod her head in acknowledgment of his   
question. That was all she had been thinking about since they had learned that   
their next target was residing in Germany, basically right next to where her   
life had turned direction. The emotions of her past and family conflicted with   
the present and what she needed to accomplish. And so she had been distracted   
her during important tasks as familiar landmarks brought back the past.   
Separating their hands, she stood up to clean off the bed.  
  
"So where is NERV's German Branch anyway? They never did tell me."  
  
"Cologne." Asuka set the bowl on a nearby table before returning to the bed.  
She pulled all the blankets and covers over the both of them before moving closer  
to Shinji. The warmth and touch of another person was comforting, causing her to  
curl up against him.  
  
Shinji remained silent for some time, wrapping one arm around Asuka's waist,   
and waited. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room he found Asuka   
looking back. He sighed as he noticed that she was biting her lower lip and   
decided to broach a sensitive subject. "So is your mother buried there?"  
  
Asuka felt a tremor race through her body and knew that Shinji had felt it.   
She tried to pull away not wanting Shinji to know how bad her childhood had been,  
but he tightened his hold on her. It wasn't until he touched her cheek that she   
noticed that she had almost cried at just the thought of her mother. Staring at   
Shinji, she knew that she had no choice, especially if it distracted her like it   
had been doing lately.   
  
"No," came the quiet admission. "She's buried in Troisdorf, near my old home."   
She explained before Shinji could ask a question. "My mother wanted a quiet   
place to live and raise me. Or that is what she always said when she argued with  
my father. I think that she also wanted to get away from the dullness of NERV,   
but I'm not sure. Though that changed later."  
  
"What happened later?"  
  
Asuka shook her head. "I'm sorry Shinji, but that's a tale for another night."  
  
"Okay. So have you." Shinji started, but was interrupted by Asuka.  
  
She leaned in closer and gave him a kiss, smiling as he returned it. "I've   
been with you for the last seven years, almost eight years, so how could I have   
visited her grave?" Asuka's smile disappeared at Shinji's expression and she   
rolled onto her back. "I shouldn't have said that. But no, I haven't been to   
mama's grave since the funeral."  
  
"When this mission is done do you want to visit her?" inquired Shinji. "I   
mean maybe now you let go of what happened between the two of you." His voice   
had started out strong but had dropped to a whisper at the end. "A decade is a   
long time to carry that kind of pain around."  
  
Asuka continued to lie on her back, silent and contemplating Shinji's strange   
request. She doubted that going to see her mother's grave would really erase the   
pain that she had been carrying around for so many years. That pain had shaped   
her into what she was, of how she presented her self to others. A frown appeared   
on her face as she remembered that she had dropped the spoiled brat routine   
years ago. But to finally release the hate and anger of that day both scared and   
intrigued Asuka as to how it might change her if it did anything at all. Then   
again it might not change her at all. Her relationship with Shinji was doing   
fine despite her promises to herself never to be dependent on others.   
  
"No."  
  
Shinji was shocked at the blunt reply. "Asuka! How can you say that,   
especially after everything we learned."   
  
The sound of Asuka's fists hitting the bed stopped him. Rolling over he   
placed his hands on each side of her head and studied Asuka's face. What he saw   
both scared and saddened him, as her features were a mixture of anger and sorrow.  
Even in the faint light he could see the faint traces of moisture at the corners   
of her eyes, but her eyes were narrowed and she was wearing a frown. Propped up   
on one arm he brushed some stray hair from her forehead, then slowly lowered   
himself and gave her a small kiss.  
  
"I know that, but mama and me." She reached up and pulled Shinji closer,   
before resting her head on his shoulder. "We didn't have a good parting, and I've   
never forgiven her for forgetting me."  
  
Rolling over Shinji held Asuka in his arms as she trembled. "I thought she   
died like my mother."  
  
"It wasn't that simple, Shinji. The EVA, it stole both her mind and soul   
during that test." Her voice was muffled but Shinji could hear the pain in it.   
"She forgot and ignored me before finally killing herself."   
  
"Oh, I didn't know," whispered Shinji.  
  
Slowly he moved his hands to Asuka's back and neck as she trembled against   
him as her memories haunted her that he had reawakened. He gently held the back   
of her head as he rubbed her back, showing that she wasn't alone. Shinji didn't   
know how much time had passed before Asuka quieted down and relaxed her hold on   
him. As the tension finally drained from her body Shinji contemplated what she  
had said as he still held Asuka in his arms. Staring up at the ceiling Shinji   
realized that he had just added another role to their relationship.   
  
- - - -  
  
The cool evening air seeped through the layers of clothing and gloves Shinji   
wore causing him to shiver. But that did not stop him from finishing up his   
assigned task as the camera clicked in his hands. In the distance highlighted   
by the setting sun was the mountain estate of Wilhelm Rintzler, SEELE member and   
owner of a nation wide corporation, NP Noricum. Shifting the lens slightly   
Shinji brought another guard into view, before focusing and snapping another   
picture. The arrival of a car drew his attention, and again the camera moved to   
take a photograph. Shinji sighed as he ejected the full memory card and slipped   
it into the proper sleeve before inserting a fresh card. The car was just another  
plain car, one of approximately thirty in the parking area, but the passengers   
were the prizes for the young man. As each guest arrived at the door, Shinji had  
just enough time to zoom, focus and snap a couple pictures before they   
disappeared inside. Later on Asuka and him would look through each frame trying   
to match up any other SEELE members.   
  
A car's motor caused Shinji to whip his head around and look up to where he   
had parked his own vehicle. A frown crossed his face for a moment before   
disappearing into a smirk. Taking his time he packed away the various camera   
accessories that were on the ground next to him. Slinging the camera bag over   
his shoulder he started walking back towards his car and the vehicle that had   
stopped behind it. Red and blue lights flashed across his face and the   
surrounding mountainside while two men dressed in the dark blue uniforms of the   
Hessen division of the German National Police waited for him. Shinji stopped at   
the front quarter of his vehicle, placing the bag on the hood, and keeping his   
hands where the officers could see them.   
  
"Is something the matter officers?" asked Shinji in perfect German after the   
silence had remained unbroken for a couple minutes.  
  
"What were you doing down there?"  
  
"Taking photographs of the river and surrounding landscapes." Shinji picked up   
his bag in one hand. "I'm a professional photographer."  
  
The higher ranked officer smiled before launching a barrage of questions at   
Shinji. The questions ranged from his name and where he was staying to inquiries   
that only a professional would know. During the entire session Shinji remained   
calm, answering the questions in a quiet steady voice as he went through his new   
biography. He noticed that after every third question the other officer would   
glance down at a hand held display before nodding to his superior. The   
surrounding shadows deepened as the questions kept coming from the officers.   
  
"I'm sorry about this, but we had to make sure you are who you say you are,"   
stated the leader after twenty minutes. "There were some murders near here and   
we still haven't found who is responsible."  
  
Shinji nodded his acknowledgment, "And since Mr. Rintzler is a prominent   
business man."  
  
"It's better to be safe than sorry." The officer turned around and walked   
back to his patrol car.   
  
Shinji exhaled slowly then opened the rear door to his car and placed the camera   
bag in the back seat before getting behind the wheel. Starting the engine he   
watched as nothing came up wrong with any of the gauges. Glancing into the rear   
view mirror one more time as the patrol car had not moved Shinji pulled off of   
the shoulder and onto the concrete of the main road. A few minutes later he   
smiled to himself as the patrol car raced past him with its lights flashing as   
it supposedly went after another lead. Approaching a cloverleaf Shinji took the   
first off ramp and headed back towards the apartment.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Where have you been?" was the first thing out of Asuka's mouth as Shinji   
slid into the open space next to her at the bar.  
  
Shinji didn't say anything as he leaned over to give Asuka a quick hug, but   
was pushed away at the last moment. Picking up the stein he followed her over to   
a table in the corner and sat with his back to the wall. He frowned as she   
didn't say a word instead Asuka picked up her own and slowly drank. Shinji   
picked up his stein and as he lifted it to his mouth he thought he saw Asuka   
smile behind the oversized mug. A second later he was coughing and hacking from   
the warm, bitter beer that Asuka had gotten for him. As he wiped up the spilt   
beer he turned his head to glare at his partner but his eyes softened as Asuka   
was smiling at him and her eyes were bright in humor.  
  
"And what was that for," muttered Shinji.  
  
Asuka didn't say anything as she slid a glass of water to him. As he grabbed   
the glass Asuka traced her fingers over his hand. "For asking me about my past   
when I told you to be patient." At Shinji's puzzled look she explained, "Remember  
at Kenji's after we saw your father's disc, you asked me why I had dwelt on the   
past so much. And I asked you to be patient with me."  
  
"Oh, I forgot. Sorry." Shinji averted his eyes.  
  
"Don't be sorry and anyways you were right." Her voice grew shaky as she   
continued, "I should visit mama's grave and start getting rid of the burden of   
her death." She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "But you still haven't answered   
my question of where you have been."   
  
"Ran into the police and had to drop the tail they put on me."  
  
"You sure you lost them?"  
  
Shinji nodded, "I left them watching the hotel that we had been using for the   
last couple weeks. Too bad I also had to leave the car behind." He finished the   
glass of water and ordered from the waitress that had come to their table. "What  
about you? Did you complete your assignment?"  
  
"Of course I did," was her indignant reply.  
  
Glancing over at his partner Shinji saw what Asuka was wearing and wondered   
-how- she had completed her assignment. Her hair was messy and the red lipstick   
was smeared off to one side, while her evening dress and matching jacket looked   
rumpled from some heavy handling. Shinji laced his fingers under his chin and   
put a bored expression on his face then waited for Asuka. One eyebrow lifted   
when she blushed and met his gaze until he lost himself in her blue eyes once   
again.   
  
"You don't have to look at me like I did something wrong," stated Asuka in a   
sharp voice. "Men need to be led on or they might not do what is needed."  
  
"Have you been leading me on," inquired Shinji and regretted it immediately.  
  
Asuka's eyes were wide from shock and she sadly frowned, "How could you ask me   
that Shinji after everything we've been through, especially these last few   
months."   
  
Shinji tightened his hold on her hand. "I shouldn't have said that, but I   
needed to hear you say it." He felt as Asuka squeezed his hand lightly,   
encouraging him to continue. "I guess I have this fear that I may lose you   
someday, whether through a mistake or something unforeseen. And if that happens   
I want to remember that what we had was real."   
  
  
"You won't lose me Shinji."  
  
- - - -  
  
Lowering the binoculars Shinji looked over at Asuka in the driver's seat, and   
sighed. Gone were all traces of the sad, yet carefree young woman from the night   
before as they waited for Wilhelm Rintzler to leave his estate. Her impatience   
was shown through the continual drumming of fingers against the steering wheel,   
and the sharp exhalation of breath. The eyes that had been soft and sad earlier   
were now cold as ice, as she simply looked out the windshield waiting for his   
signal. Shinji ran his fingers through his hair, trying not to think of how   
silky Asuka's hair had been. Lifting his binoculars he resumed his surveillance   
of the gate and bridge in the distance. He didn't have to wait long as a convoy   
of three black BMWs exited the estate and made their way to the local bypass.   
Reaching over he tapped Asuka on the shoulder, daring not to speak or break the   
ice. As he removed his hand Asuka grabbed it for moment before releasing it.   
  
The three cars raced past the rest stop and Asuka slowly counted to five   
before falling into a tail position. The sun was barely peeking over the edge of   
the horizon as the four cars wound their way through the hills to the flat   
plains. Other vehicles shared the road but the world was only waking up to do   
its daily routine and so the numbers were relatively small. As the tops of   
buildings came into view Rintzler's cars slowed down and took the second off   
ramp, something that Asuka and Shinji were prepared for from their surveillance   
of the man. Traffic lights remained green as the hunted and hunters made their  
way to the corporation's headquarters. Shinji flipped up two switches of the   
control panel sitting in his lap as the metal and stone structure came into view.  
  
"We won't fail."  
  
Shinji almost turned his head at the cold tone of Asuka but he didn't as he   
watched the last few seconds of Rintzler's life. One of the switches had   
activated a program in the traffic light to turn from green to red when it   
received a certain code. That code was what Asuka had received from a maintenance  
worker the night before. The first escort car made it through the intersection   
as the light turned yellow while the cars behind them stopped for the red light.   
Wilhelm Rintzler's record with keeping a clean profile and obeying even the   
littlest law to avoid suspicion would lead to his death, because the second   
switch triggered a laser sensor.   
  
It was over in a blink of an eye as the car broke the laser and triggered   
the ambush, yet Asuka could imagine every detail. The mailbox that held the   
weapon disappeared in ball of orange flame and black smoke. Plate glass of a   
shop right behind the box bulged inward before filling the air with crystal   
shrapnel. An instant later the armored car was transformed into a miniature hell   
as the cabin filled with superheated air and metal fragments. The blastfront's   
shockwave twisted the frame, deforming the vehicle and defeating the last of its   
compromised protection. A dull thump shattered any remaining intact windows and   
shook the pilots' car as the gas tank detonated in a flash. The guards from the   
escort vehicles surrounded the destroyed car, but could do nothing as flames   
consumed the wreckage.   
  
"Three down, nine to go." whispered Asuka as she watched smoke climb into the   
brightening day. "Will we ever be done?"   
  
- - - -  
  
Something warm touched Shinji's cheek causing him to come out of his slumber   
immediately. In one motion he grabbed the object with one hand while swinging   
his other in an upward curving arc. He cringed as his eyes finally focused and   
saw blue eyes framed by auburn hair staring down at him. The sound of flesh   
hitting flesh never reached his ears as Asuka blocked his punch by simply   
raising up her arm and taking the blow on her forearm. Shinji sighed and lay   
back down, as Asuka's eyes were calm with no trace of anger in them. She removed   
her hand from his cheek and sat down on the bed.  
  
"This is the last time I wake you up," muttered Asuka.  
  
"I must be getting soft since I didn't hear you come in."  
  
Asuka leaned over and flicked his forehead with a finger. "Idiot, we were   
exhausted or did you forget we had been up over twenty four hours yesterday."   
She glared at him and held up one finger as she saw that he was going to   
apologize.  
  
"So how long was I out of it?" Shinji slid out from underneath the covers and   
stopped next to Asuka. He frowned as she refused his attempts to grab the water   
bottle in her hand.  
  
"Twelve hours. Now come on they're finally going to release the identity of   
Mr. Wilhelm Rintzler." Her voice was full of sarcasm as she spoke that name.   
  
With that Asuka stood up and walked out of the bedroom they had been sharing.   
Shinji sat there before getting to his feet and following her out into the small   
living room. As he went to the kitchen for something to drink he saw that Asuka   
was sitting on the couch and had turned on the television to the local news   
station. When he returned she was resting her chin on her hands with elbows   
braced on her knees watching the screen. She didn't react as he again sat down   
next to her, instead she reached for the bottle at her feet. When the newscast   
started she turned up the volume and resumed her statue-like position.  
  
"Early this morning the business district of Framkfurt was rocked by a single   
explosion of unknown origin. The explosion happened just a block from the   
corporate headquarters of NP Noricum Incorporated, which is owned by Mr. Rintzler  
of Boppard. The explosion destroyed a car owned by Mr. Rintzler, and caused minor  
damage to nearby buildings. Sadly three people were killed in this apparent   
terrorism attack, the driver, a bodyguard and prominent scientist Mr. Akihiro   
Soryu. Authorities agree that Mr. Rintzler was the intended target of the attack   
but he loaned the car and his personnel to Mr. Soryu, who worked for Noricum."   
  
The reporter's voice faded into the background as Shinji felt the blood drain   
from his face as he turned towards Asuka. She was just as pale as he was and she   
was starting to shake. When his hand touched her leg Asuka abruptly stood up and   
ran to the bedroom. Shinji didn't even realize that he had leapt up from the   
couch and chased after her only to have the door slammed in his face. Even as he   
heard the click of the lock he still tried the doorknob hoping to get into the   
room and talk to Asuka, to be there for her to show her that she wasn't alone,   
but the metal knob refused to turn.  
  
"Asuka please open the door," pleaded Shinji. "I'm here for you, you must   
know that. I won't leave no matter what happens. Please open the door."  
  
But his pleas were met with silence despite his repeated attempts to get   
Asuka to open the door. As he slid down onto his knees Shinji rested his head   
against the door hearing the quiet sounds of the young woman crying. He didn't   
know why but hearing the news that they had killed the wrong person had drained   
Shinji of energy as he slowly stood. Giving the door one last furtive glance he   
made his way back to the television. As he reached for the remote to turn the   
machine off Shinji stopped. On the screen was a picture of a smiling Asuka as a   
child with both her parents. She looked so innocent and happy back then compared   
to the tortured girl he had met so many years ago and woman he had been living   
with for the last six.  
  
"Damn it!" Pain shot through Shinji's hand and up his arm as he punched the   
wooden table. He threw the remote to the floor after turning the television off   
and stormed out the door.  
  
- - - -  
  
The day, which was gray with clouds and rain, suited Shinji's mood as he   
stood on the bank of the Rhine River and watched the river traffic float past   
him. It had been two days since the botched assassination, which had resulted in  
the death of Asuka's father, and he had grown tired of watching the news repeat   
her father's life history, while portraying Asuka as a wanted criminal. He   
couldn't understand why Asuka was so worked up over the death of her father.  
  
"That was callous Shinji," he muttered to himself.  
  
Despite everything the man had put him through hadn't he cried when he had   
learned of his father's death? Couldn't the same be true of Asuka and her own   
father? Yet it didn't fit with what Shinji knew of her father and his   
relationship with his daughter. Asuka never talked about her father, instead   
always treating him as a non-entity in her life, even going so far as to chew   
Shinji out when he had commented on her having a family. Sighing Shinji turned up   
the collar of his coat and stuck his hands in his pockets, ignoring the water   
soaking his head and flowing to the ground. He didn't know enough of Asuka's   
past to even reach an educated guess of why she was reacting the way she was.   
  
Kicking a rock he watched it tumble down the bank of the river before finally  
landing with an unsatisfactory plop in the water. Turning on his heel Shinji   
started walking back to the cabin that they had rented for this operation hoping  
that Asuka would finally break out of her shell of the last two days. He couldn't  
help but shiver as he stepped from the cool air of outdoors into the heated   
environment of the entryway. After wiping his feet, Shinji left the wet jacket   
hanging on a hook before walking further into the cabin. Striding into the   
kitchen he grabbed a bottle of water and downed half of it before walking towards  
the door to bedroom. Stopping in front of the wooden barrier Shinji resolved that  
they -would- talk, no matter what would happen. He was surprised when the door   
opened under his touch when he reached up to knock.   
  
"Asuka you want to talk?" inquired Shinji before he saw Asuka.  
  
His eyes softened and he wanted to cry as he saw her limp form under the   
blankets. Her hair looked dull and lifeless as it lay out in a stream behind her  
head on the pillow. Setting the bottle on the floor he made his way to the side   
of the bed and knelt down. Some of his worry disappeared as sky blue eyes stared   
back at him, yet like her hair they were dull and empty. Shinji ignored the red   
puffiness of Asuka's eyes and simply stared as he reached out for one of her   
hands. He smiled as she returned the gesture and their hands met halfway before   
gently coming together.  
  
"I'm sorry Shinji," whispered Asuka. "You've must have been worried sick about   
me."  
  
He brushed a couple stray locks of hair off her forehead. "A little. I've   
never seen you like this before." Her fingers tightened before relaxing. "You   
want to talk about it?"  
  
"Not yet." A panicked look came to her face as Shinji tried to separate their   
hands. "Don't go, please."  
  
"What do you want to me to do?" He smiled as a blush crossed her cheeks.  
  
"Just hold me."  
  
"I'm soaking wet, let me change first." Shinji stopped as Asuka shook her head.   
  
"No. I've just gone through two and half days of self imposed exile from you.   
So get your butt into this bed Shinji." At her tone of voice Shinji laughed.  
  
After placing his pistol and holster on the bedside table Shinji stripped down   
to a T-shirt and shorts. Lifting up the edge of the blankets he saw that Asuka   
was just wearing her slip. He wasn't surprised when Asuka rolled halfway onto to   
him when he was fully in the bed. As he warmed up from her body heat Shinji   
rubbed Asuka's shoulders and back through the thin garment feeling her heartbeat   
against his chest. Neither said a word as they lost themselves in the comfort of   
being with someone that cared. Shinji smiled when after some time Asuka threw an   
arm around him, her breath tickling his neck as she fell asleep against him.   
  
A while later Shinji woke to the missing weight and warmth of Asuka.   
Throwing the blankets to one side he grabbed his pants and got dressed,   
clenching and unclenching his hand to get the feeling back. As he walked out of   
the room Shinji almost ran into Asuka, as she was about to enter. Reaching   
forward he grabbed the tray that she had been balancing on one hand to keep it   
from dropping to the floor. For his efforts Shinji received a smile from Asuka as  
she bent down and picked up a pitcher and two glass from where she had set them   
down. As they sat back down on the bed Shinji saw that Asuka had showered and   
changed into shorts and a thick sweater. Reaching forward he removed the   
makeshift lid from the tray once they were settled.  
  
"Comfort food?" commented Shinji as he saw what she had prepared.  
  
"Yeah, simple yet completely satisfying."  
  
Without another word Asuka reached forward and speared herself a link of   
bratwurst. Placing it into a bun she then covered it in sauerkraut and hot   
mustard before dumping a pile of chips on her plate. Shinji watched as she   
attacked the simple meal in front of her, almost inhaling the brat. As she put   
down what she had not eaten he couldn't help but laugh at the juices that ran   
down her chin, but Asuka didn't say anything. He took the glass she offered him   
and waited as she poured him a drink. Lifting the glass he took a sip to taste   
the beer and found it had a mild taste and was gentle aroma. As he started on   
his first helping Asuka was on to her second but this time she wasn't eating   
with as much gusto and by the third she was just toying with it.  
  
"You don't have to stare at me like that, I'll talk to you." Asuka put down   
her remaining meal and rested her hand on her knees.  
  
"I know but it's still your decision and I won't pressure you to do something   
until you're ready."  
  
Asuka angrily ran her fingers through her hair and her voice was sharp, "I   
know that! But at the same time you are pressuring me in an indirect way. How   
can you trust me with your life when I won't even talk about my past." She   
pulled her hands out of Shinji's reach as he tried to grip one. "You're   
wondering why I'm so worked up over the death of my father. The bastard who left  
me alone for so many years, who never called or wrote me or stood up and defended  
me when they put that bounty on our heads. I shouldn't care about the man who  
cheated on my mother and remarried so soon afterwards. I shouldn't be worked up   
so much over a single person's death. But."   
  
Her voice ended in a whisper and she didn't anything for a few moments, "But   
I wanted to ask him just once whether he truly ever loved me. Was I conceived   
because he was ordered to or because he loved my mother and wanted a family? Did   
he feel proud when I graduated from college at such a young age or was it all   
part of SEELE's plans? There were many questions that I wanted to ask him to see   
if he was ever deserving of forgiveness. Now I will never know and that is going  
haunt me forever because I won't be able to completely hate him. I will always   
wonder if he was just weak and being manipulated or if he believed in SEELE's   
ideals and did everything to further their plans."  
  
"I didn't know your past was bad," spoke Shinji, as he was able to grab her  
before pulling her closer. He did not release her as she laughed sadly.  
  
"My past. That wasn't my past Shinji but just why I worked myself up over my   
father's death." She closed her eyes and absorbed the warmth from Shinji. "My   
past is much worse and so much sadder. And now there are no barriers to you   
learning everything about me."  
  
The way she said the last sentence scared Shinji, like she was going to tell   
him that she was a demon or something. Over the next two hours that fear   
disappeared as Asuka did a good job of tearing herself and her parents to pieces.  
A lot of things were cleared up and he learned why she had acted in certain ways   
during the Angels and how she had treated those around her. Instead of the demon   
attacking everything around her Shinji saw Asuka as just barely keeping her head  
above the water. Her entire life had been one assault after another on her heart  
and soul as she lost her mother and father, and then Kaji and Misato, finally   
ending in their years of running.   
  
"And now you know everything about me, both the good and bad. Mostly the bad   
though," Asuka whispered as she stared at the far wall waiting for Shinji to   
react to her story.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about with the bad," Shinji said after the   
silence stretched. "I didn't hear anything that told me you are bad or evil in   
some way. What I learned is that you had a worse childhood then I did and I have  
no room to complain."  
  
"But." A finger running down her dry cheek stopped Asuka.  
  
"No buts. These last few years I've seen you come out of situations that no   
one else would have. You've taught me a lot about confidence and survival, but   
most of all you've taught me never to give up." His voice was soft and gentle   
one that she had heard very rarely, "A bad person would have never made it this   
long or been able to teach others."  
  
"I don't deserve you Shinji. I never did."  
  
"You're wrong. You deserve all of me, the Shinji that can be a wimp, but also   
the Shinji that you've taught to be strong."   
  
Asuka didn't respond to that as it made her feel warm inside. Instead she   
gripped Shinji tighter and turned her head towards Shinji so that she could see   
him. She didn't do anything as Shinji flinched, as Asuka knew what her face must   
look like. Smiling grimly Asuka finally spoke. "Guess you're right, but do you   
know what I want even more?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I want that SEELE bastard dead."  
  
"They'll be ready for us."  
  
Asuka kissed Shinji's cheek. "I don't care. This time there will be no hiding   
in the bushes, but a true assault."   
  
- - - -  
  
The flames crackled and waved, hypnotic in their simplistic dance, as they   
grew in the night fed by fuel from the tanks of the twisted and burnt vehicles.  
Metal and rubber flowed as they reached their melting points, driven to that   
point by the initial impact of military grade weapons plunging from the sky.   
Shards of glass littered the road and reflected the orange glow of the flames,   
thrown there by the attackers as they took out the driver at point blank range.   
Scattered near the ambush scene were the barely recognizable forms of soldiers.   
Farther out into the landscape came the chatter of automatic weapons as humans   
hunted each other.  
  
Asuka ignored the scene behind her as she raced towards a group of rocks, her   
side burning in pain. The gray and black scenery was disorientating to her as   
she pushed her body after her prey. A sharp impact of heat and pain invaded her   
leg as the soldiers following behind her hit her. Staggering she took cover   
behind the pile of boulders and took a cylindrical object off her harness.   
Squeezing her eyes shut she slammed the object into the ground as far as she   
could reach, feeling a brief moment of heat in her palm. Three seconds later she  
heard the muted pop of the magnesium flare going off, and rose up to a firing   
position.  
  
The soldiers following behind her were easy targets as she lifted up her   
night vision goggles away from her eyes. With each touch of the trigger she sent   
a burst of automatic rifle rounds into the torsos of the temporarily blinded   
soldiers. Not once did she stop to consider that it was wrong to kill in the   
manner she and Shinji were taking out the hunters that were guarding   
Mr. Rintzler. The last of the soldiers went down as Asuka ejected her third   
magazine and inserted a new clip. Ignoring the bleeding wound in her leg she   
pulled down her goggles as the flare started to die out.   
  
"Now then it's back to work," muttered Asuka as she stood and started to   
turn.   
  
The impact of the knife was minor compared to what she had gone through   
before, but she had never gotten used to the burning and the sensation as flesh   
parted under a blade. Asuka's rifle dropped from numb fingers just as two round   
impacted her and completed her turn. Bright specks of light filled her vision as   
she fell to the ground filled with pain. Even wounded Asuka's survival instinct   
was strong and she reached for her holstered pistol with her uninjured arm.   
  
"Ahhh!" screamed Asuka as a boot forced the blade deeper.  
  
"Stubborn to the last. It's amazing how much abuse the human body will incur   
for something so simple as revenge." Asuka tried to glare back at the man   
standing over her. "How much more damage will you take to kill me? You already   
have, oh about, four holes in you. Shock should be setting in real soon from   
blood loss. So are you still going to try and kill me?" Asuka's answer was to   
try and trip the man.  
  
"I guess I shouldn't have expected less from an EVA pilot." The blond hair man   
looked across the plain. "Though you've done a good job of taking out the hired   
help." He knelt down and ripped the goggles off her face. "You two have surprised  
the council with your little act of revenge. Hidden and invulnerable for years   
and suddenly two children disobey their betters and run, then years later try   
and avoid their destiny" Rintzler started to chuckle, "But just like Gendo it's   
time for the games to stop. Where is Shinji?"  
  
"Don't know." Asuka gritted her teeth as a finger was shoved into one of her   
wounds.  
  
"Bullshit girl. Call him on the radio and the less you'll have to suffer." At  
her grim smile the man grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked her head back as the   
other hand tightened around her throat.  
  
"Behind you," whispered Asuka as it became harder to breathe.  
  
The hand tightened, "Oldest trick in the book Asuka."   
  
At that moment rocks grated against each other behind the pair. Rintzler   
whipped around with pistol in one hand and a smile on his face. And saw nothing   
behind him except one of his hired guards, and the grayness of a moonlit night.   
As fast as possible he jumped off Asuka and to the side resulting in him catching  
the bullet in the shoulder instead of the upper chest. Cold blue eyes behind the  
sights of a gun were the last things as white light blossomed in her hand and   
his body jerked from multiple impacts. He gave Asuka one last smile as his lungs  
filled with blood and he drowned.  
  
"What are you going to do now soldier?" asked Asuka as she stared over her   
sights at the approaching figure.  
  
The man didn't say anything as they stared at each other waiting for the   
other person to make the first move. Asuka's finger tightened as the rifle   
pointed at her slowly sank from the guard position. But for some reason she   
didn't pull the trigger as the rifle continued to drop until the barrel was   
pointed at the ground. Her eyes widened in surprise as the man shrugged his   
shoulders and walked past her without stopping or saying a word.   
  
"Damn it," growled Asuka as she propped herself up against the largest rock,  
the soldier forgotten.  
  
Tears came to her eyes and whimper escaped as she grabbed the knife hilt and   
slowly pulled the blade out of her damaged shoulder. Using the knife she cut the  
sleeves off her jacket, wrapping one around her thigh and the other she pressed   
against her abdomen. The other wounds she could feel oozing blood as there was  
no way to plug them. Leaving the assault rifle behind and ignoring her blurry   
vision Asuka climbed to her feet and painfully staggered off to the sound of   
flowing water and her rendezvous with Shinji. Several minutes later she reached   
the banks of the Rhine and started back towards the late Wilhelm Rintzler's   
estate knowing that no one would expect them to head back towards the site of   
the initial attack. As the burning vehicles came into sight Asuka knelt down,   
shaking her head to clear her vision and letting her eyes adjust to the   
increased light.   
  
"Asuka," a voice whispered in her ear at the same time a hand clamped over   
her mouth. As she struggled, the hand tightened and the voice was harsh, "It's   
me Shinji. Will you settle down."  
  
"Well don't sneak up on me then," she shot back. Moaning she plopped to the   
ground. Looking up she saw weird protrusions coming off of Shinji and realized   
they were his jacket and shirt. Reaching up she pulled him down, "How bad?"  
  
Shinji shrugged his shoulders indifferently, "I won't die, at least not yet."   
In the light Asuka could see his eyes narrow, "What about you?"  
  
"I won't die yet," Asuka repeated, smiling back at Shinji when he grinned.  
  
"Well then here's the bad news. You know our raft?" Asuka nodded at his   
question. "It didn't make it."  
  
Sliding his arm around Asuka, Shinji didn't give her time to respond to his   
revelation. Instead he picked her up and started walking towards the embankment   
and where their ride would have been. Asuka saw the black shape of the raft   
floating on the dark gray of the river, but only two of the six cells were   
inflated. Turning her head she stared at Shinji, seeing only determination and   
resolve on his face. As the cold water hit her thighs Asuka gasped and held on   
tighter to Shinji as he pushed the damaged raft out into the current. Looping   
her arms over one cell she started kicking helping propel the raft farther from   
shore. As they passed under the bridge leading to the estate Asuka rested her   
head on the wet rubber.  
  
"We probably won't make it this time," she stated tiredly as it was becoming   
harder for Asuka to draw deep breaths.  
  
"Don't say that Asuka, we'll make it like we have before."  
  
"Okay." With that Asuka closed her eyes and continued to kick, but in the   
back of her mind she wondered what would come first for her, bleeding to death   
or succumbing to hypothermia. As she thought that, she wondered which way was   
the worst way to die. Reaching over she fumbled to find Shinji's hand as cold   
started to invade her body minutes later. She started to panic but settled back   
down to await the darkness when his hand closed around hers, and she knew she   
wasn't alone.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Get out of the way you lecher!"  
  
"Who are you calling a lecher, young man!"  
  
The voices penetrated the darkness that enveloped Asuka and she wondered if   
this was hell or heaven. Though she reasoned if it was either why people were   
yelling and only two people at that, since in hell they'd be screaming while in   
heaven they'd be singing. Mentally she shrugged and tried to open her eyes since   
she concluded she was alive and not dead. That fact was apparent by the dull   
throb of pain radiating through her body, which was only added to when she   
finally got her eyes opened and shut them immediately. Going slowly Asuka opened   
them in increments, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light.   
  
She didn't find the dark wooden boards of the ceiling reassuring after a few  
minutes of study. Shifting her eyes she brought the rest of the room into view   
as well as the two people who were yelling. A smile came to her face as she   
recognized Shinji standing in the doorway arguing with a man who easily   
outweighed the Japanese man and towered above him. Licking her dry lips Asuka   
resolved to get their attention and something to drink.  
  
"What." That one word was all Asuka could croak before she started coughing.   
But it achieved the desired results as the shouting stopped and the two men came   
to her side.  
  
Dark green eyes twinkled as the man stroked her head, "See what you did,   
Shinji. You woke Asuka up. Now get her something to drink, preferably water."  
  
"If you had allowed me to see her we wouldn't have woken her up," grumbled   
Shinji as he went to a sink for the water.  
  
"She is my patient and I say when visitors are allowed. And I might add that  
you should be resting, I don't need your stitches popping out."   
  
Shinji ignored the comment as he brought the glass over, "I've had worse and   
survived it."  
  
"Humph."  
  
Asuka watched all this in amazement as the two of them acted like long lost   
friends. Turning her head she stared at the old man wondering if she had met him   
before in the past. She shook her head as she couldn't remember meeting someone   
skilled in surgery outside of NERV, but still she didn't outright deny that she   
had never met the man before. When Shinji sat down on the bed Asuka tried to sit  
up but found that her shoulder was strapped down across her chest. After a few   
painful seconds she finally made it to a sitting position, and grabbed the glass   
from Shinji wanting that drink of water. As she drank Asuka ignored the pains   
still shooting through her body, relaxing as the cold water cooled her parched   
throat, but as she finished the water Asuka realized her throat wasn't the only   
thing being chilled her back was freezing. Looking down she saw that she was   
nude under the sheets except for the bandages covering her. With her face red   
Asuka prepared to shout at the old man only to be hit in the face with a long   
T-shirt.  
  
"I think this should fit," was the only comment as the man turned his back to   
the pair. Shinji's eyes never left Asuka's face as he helped pull the garment   
over her head and down her torso.  
  
"Thank you, um." Asuka stopped since she didn't know the man's name. "Who are   
you?"  
  
The man shook his head and turned around with sad eyes, "Just a concerned   
citizen."   
  
Asuka tried to laugh but it was weak. "A concerned citizen, bullshit. There   
is no such thing, especially with the 24 million-dollar bounty on our heads.   
There are only two kinds of people, one are the people that don't care and the   
others are bounty hunters."  
  
"You're quite cynical for one so young but I can see why." The man smiled   
faintly at her. "And I don't fit into either of your two groups."  
  
Asuka closed her eyes as she kept control of her anger before opening them   
slowly and staring at the man. "Fine so you do care and you're not after the   
bounty, but you still haven't told me your name."  
  
"Michael Fahling," the man said as he walked out the door.  
  
"You think we can trust him?" asked Shinji. Asuka sat there and stared at the  
open door for moment.  
  
"I don't."  
  
"Of course you can!" Fahling stated as he came back carrying a tray.  
  
"You still haven't given me my gun back!" Shinji shot back, hiding his   
surprise at the sudden return under anger.  
  
"Maybe it's because I don't want to get shot by a hot head like you." The man  
set the tray on Asuka's lap before turning back to Shinji. "You don't have to   
trust me but I hope you will. I want you to believe me when I say I am doing   
this because I do care. I've seen and lived through too many government lies and   
projects to believe what everyone says about you two. Anyone with a brain could   
see that they're lies!"   
  
Shinji snagged one of the sandwiches off the tray and went to a chair to eat   
and where he would be out of the way. Four days he had been on the edge as he   
waited for Asuka to wake up or for the old man to turn them in. But the betrayal  
had never happened and now Asuka was awake, yet he still had no idea what to do.   
Neither Asuka nor him were in any shape to fight or run at the moment and   
wouldn't be for several days. Turning around in the chair he rested his arms   
over the back, and cracking his back in the process which drew a glare from   
their rescuer.   
  
"Um, so how did we end up here anyways?" inquired Asuka setting the empty   
tray on the floor. "And where is here by the way."  
  
"Here is my boat and how you got here is not much of a tale." Fahling grabbed  
the spare chair and lit his pipe. "A week ago I was halfway into my annual trip   
down the river traveling at night. Traveling at night gives me all the daylight   
I need to see the various towns I stop at." He didn't flinch under Asuka's glare  
instead he just puffed away. "Anyways here I was going down the river at nice   
clip when I see this weird object floating towards me. I altered course to avoid  
any collision but close enough to see what was floating in the river. Almost had  
a heart attack when I saw you two floating there on that damaged raft in the   
middle of the night."  
  
"Thought you were dead when I pulled you out of the water and onto my deck,   
but as you can already guess you weren't. Both of you were the bluest I had ever  
seen anyone and had weak pulses." Shinji flinched as the man pointed at him.   
"Him I covered with as many blankets I had while I put you in the tub with hot   
water. Originally I was going to take you to the nearest hospital but when I   
cleaned you up I changed my mind since I recognized you."  
  
"I take it you recognized us from the wanted bulletins?"  
  
"Yes. And I am sorry about you killing your own father by mistake. I'm not   
going to try and figure out what you're feeling right now."  
  
Asuka felt her face heat up and saw Shinji studying her, "Thank you for   
patching us up and for…"  
  
"There's no need to thank me. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get us going   
before someone wonders what we're doing."  
  
Shinji watched the man leave before getting up and closing the door for some   
privacy. Walking back over to the bed he sat the foot of the bed looking Asuka   
over. The last days he had memorized every detail of her face as he waited for   
her to wake, noticing little things that he had missed before. Her color still   
was not back as she was pale and a little gray but it was better then before.   
Reaching into his pocket he brought out a small plastic bag and placed it in her  
hand.  
  
"What's this?"   
  
Shinji smirked, "Souvenirs."  
  
Asuka opened her hand and saw what was in the bag, paling at the sight of   
four shells. "All from me?"  
  
"Yep, and here's mine." Shinji dug another bag out that contained fewer   
bullets, but also had pieces of shrapnel.  
  
Asuka lay back down on the bed and continued to stare at the bag. "Our luck   
has to run out one of these days."  
  
"Maybe God is watching out for us."  
  
"Doubtful." With that said Asuka fell back to sleep.  
  
  
- - - -  
  
Winter had finally broken and the sun was shining on a perfect blue sky with   
only traces of white clouds present. Birds sang in trees that were starting to   
bud and produce green leaves while grass was turning back to a lively shade of   
green. Nature wasn't the only thing turning out for the beautiful day as people   
strolled about to do their errands instead of driving around. Many of the stores   
had transferred part of their merchandise outdoors in order to take advantage of   
increase in pedestrians. There were some scuffles as people got jostled about or   
missed out on some deal, but on the whole the day was peaceful.  
  
"This reminds me of home," commented Shinji as he walked against the current   
of people to reach Asuka.  
  
"It's always like this on the first day of spring and will be until winter   
hits." Asuka reached out and grabbed the bundle from Shinji's hand. "Let's go   
see mama."  
  
Shinji nodded and started walking again, but this time with the stream of   
people. He used his body to open up a passage for Asuka as she trailed behind   
him. At one intersection he took a second to look at her and the day suddenly   
felt gloomy. Asuka's shoulder was still wrapped and her arm was in a sling to   
keep any movement to a minimum as her wounds healed, not to mention that she   
still had a gray complexion as she recovered from the blood loss. Fahling had   
stated that she would be lucky if she didn't lose some feeling and flexibility   
in that shoulder. He had also commented that he wanted to put both of them under  
the knife and patch up their bodies, but that was unrealistic at the time and he  
said that if they ever finished up to look him up.   
  
"Come on idiot the light's green."   
  
Asuka grabbed his arm and pulled him through the intersection, not even   
letting go when they made it to the other side. He could see some people smiling   
at them as Asuka badgered him to move faster. But as they neared their   
destination her pace slowed and she stopped smiling. Even when the wind blew   
some of her hair in her face Asuka simply brushed it away. Shinji felt her   
tremble as they walked past the wrought iron gates of the cemetery. He waved the   
attendant away as Asuka walked numbly towards one path. Even though it was a   
place of death Shinji was still amazed by the different headstones scattered   
over various plots, it was completely different to the place where his mother   
was supposed to lie. This place wasn't as stark and empty, but inviting.  
  
Shinji almost ran into Asuka as she stopped suddenly, turning off the path   
and walking on the grass. He came to stand besides her, holding her shoulders   
gently as they stared at the headstone in front of them. Asuka neither spoke nor   
moved as she stood there, reading the name and date over and over again. Again   
she trembled but this time it was because Shinji had removed his arm from around   
her.   
  
"I'll give you some time alone with your mother." He turned away, but Asuka   
stopped him. "I'll be back in a short time."  
  
"Okay. Hurry back," whispered Asuka. Turning back to the grave she swallowed   
slightly before kneeling down in front of it. Reaching forward she placed the   
bundle of flowers below her mother's name. She clenched and unclenched her free   
hand several times as she tried to figure out what she was going to say. Shadows   
moved silently as she knelt there pulling memories from the past and organizing   
them, remembering her mother and everything that had happened between them.   
  
"Hello mama it's Asuka, though you probably already know that wherever you   
are." She felt a little stupid talking to a grave but she didn't stop. "I'm   
sorry that I haven't visited more but my life has been one hectic moment after   
another since you died. It's gotten even busier in the last few months what with   
me killing people in revenge." Asuka brushed a stray lock of hair out of her   
vision. "But that is not the true reason for why I avoided you."   
  
"I hated you! I hated how you had forgotten me, instead giving that stupid   
doll all your love and affection. You drove me out of your life so I was just   
following your example. How else did you expect me to react? Was your death   
supposed to clear everything up like some sort of atonement for your sins or did   
you not care how I was affected?" Asuka angrily wiped away her tears. "I might   
have been able to handle it if papa had been there for me but he wasn't. You   
made sure that he didn't care about me, always arguing with him. Or that's how I   
rationalized it back then, as I grew up alone. Everything was your fault or   
papa's fault."  
  
When the hand rested on her shoulder Asuka flinched. "But now he's dead, at   
my hand and I have a family no more, if I ever did. I had questions I wanted to   
ask him, but I no longer have that option. The only thing I can do is to believe   
that he loved me, but was just weak and had many faults that lead to him to   
abandon his daughter. It's different with you mama. I can remember the times   
that you used to hold and sing to me. I remember you coming home and telling me   
what you were doing at work even if I never understood a word. And though I   
know with time those memories will fade, I will hold on to them."  
  
"I'm no longer alone in this life mama and that means a lot. I no longer have   
to keep my hate or fears to myself anymore, though it's taken years for me to   
realize that. You'd like Shinji I'm sure. He's strong and determined, yet is   
caring on the inside, always looking out for my happiness even if he gets hurt.   
I used to call him stupid and an idiot all the time but no more. Our friends and   
colleagues always think this is weird, yet they fail to realize that people   
change. And that is why I'm here mama. I want to forgive you for what happened   
so many years ago. This is just the start of my healing. Goodbye for now mama."   
Asuka stood and turned towards Shinji. "Let's go."  
  
Shinji nodded but before they left he bent over and laid his own flowers on   
the grave. "Goodbye Mrs. Soryu, we'll be back I promise."  
  
With that the two of them turned and made their way back to the path and then   
to the exit. Asuka stopped at the gate and gave the cemetery one last glance   
before she htook Shinji's offered hand. As they walked away, back into town she   
felt that one weight had finally been lifted. She still had others weighing her  
down but someday she hoped that she could get rid of those also. There was one   
thing that she had to take care of first.  
  
"And where did you disappear to back there."  
  
Shinji shrugged his shoulders, "There was an unwanted guest. I took care of   
her."  
  
"Oh, that's okay as long as that is all you did." She laughed at the look on   
his face. "I was kidding you idiot."  
  
"I know you were kidding, I just like hearing you laugh." Shinji looked over   
his shoulder to the east like he could see farther than the horizon. "So when do   
you want to start for Lake Baykal?"  
  
"Not for a few weeks. I want to enjoy civilization before I go camping." The   
corners of her mouth quirked in a faint smile. "I'm sure Toji and Kensuke would   
love to go camping."  
  
"No! We will not involve them in anything."   
  
"Yeah, yeah I wasn't suggesting involving them." Asuka stopped and tilted her   
head, lost in thought. "I wonder what everyone is up to in Tokyo-3."  
  
"Hikari's probably pregnant again and Kensuke is buried in work at NERV."  
  
- - - -  
  
"Touji Suzuhara."  
  
Touji looked up from his desk and ledger to see two men in black suits in the   
back room of the restaurant. He felt a cold tremor race down his spine, but he   
stood up and nodded. "Can I help you something?"  
  
"We need you to come with us."  
  
"Why?" One of the suits nodded slightly at the question.  
  
"It involves your relationship with the fugitives Asuka Langley Soryu and   
Shinji Ikari." The man reached forward and wrapped a hand around Touji's upper   
arm. "Come with us."  
  
Touji looked down at the hand around his arm and nodded his head in defeat.   
There was no way he could break free from these two men and if he did he would   
become hunted as an accomplice. As he walked towards the front door he was glad   
that they had not opened for business yet. When he saw the black car he was also   
glad that Hikari and the kids were not around to see this. That hope disappeared   
when the backdoor opened and he saw Hikari's face staring back at him.  
  
"What are they doing here?" Touji winced as the hand tightened and forced him   
into the vehicle.  
  
"Get in."   
  
Again Touji nodded in defeat and slid in next to Hikari, while the suits   
joined their comrade in the front. Taking one of his children from Hikari's   
grasp Touji tried to calm the girl as best he could. But as the car pulled out   
into traffic his frustration reached its peak.  
  
"Goddamn you, Shinji and Asuka. We didn't want to get involved"  
  
* * * *  
  
Pre-readers were Tommyrude and Cinaril.  
  
Well after months of delay I finally got my butt in gear and wrote this  
chapter. At times I was just lazy, while at others I just didn't feel like  
writing though that feeling has passed. Also I have too many projects going on  
that are demanding of my time. But the biggest thing that sucked up my time  
is my Playstation 2 and RPGs. For the last month its been "Just one more hour."  
for me. I've put up my controller and told myself to get back to writing so  
hopefully I can catch up on all the promised chapters and new stories from  
a couple months ago.  
  
This chapter was supposed to be a little different than my other chapters.  
Here I didn't want to concentrate on the assassination but on Asuka and Shinji  
when they realized they killed the wrong person. Also I wanted Asuka to come  
to some sort of terms with her past and mother, thus the cemetery scene. I'm  
not really sure if I succeeded in that area, but hopefully it didn't detract  
from the story.   
  
History lesson: The ambush that killed Asuka's father I borrowed from a real   
life incident involving the Red Army Faction and a German banker in the 1980's.  
  
  
C&C is always welcome  
  
Red Horseman eva_pilot9@doramail.com 


	6. Covenant

The Game Chapter 6: Covenant  
  
By the Red Horseman  
  
Pre-readers:  
  
Weltall Elite Alnilam  
  
There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.  
  
-Ernest Hemingway  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The proprietor of the small convenience store turned from stocking shelves behind the counter at the sound of the front door opening and prepared to greet his customer, only to shut his mouth with a snap. Describing the girl who had walked in as cute would've been an understatement, and the man let his eyes follow her as she walked silently down a row, examining products. Still she was a paying customer, hopefully, and leering at her was a good way to lose her business the owner thought as he shook his head and stepped from behind the counter. Walking towards the girl, who had knelt down to look at some prepared meals, he was surprised to see her arm trembling as she picked a package up. Besides that detail of her appearance, her clothes were rumpled and slightly torn, while her chestnut hair was a chaotic mess.  
  
"Miss, are you-"  
  
The response he received when he lightly touched her shoulder wasn't what he had been expecting as she snapped upright, her head whipping around while she spun toward him. He briefly thought of how beautiful her sky-blue eyes were before a cry of pain and shock escaped his mouth as slender fingers, which had been holding a meal a moment earlier, dug cruelly into his shoulder, jerking him forward. His eyes widened in horror as her other hand shot forward, aiming for his throat, and he closed his eyes waiting for the impact. But instead of the intense pain and darkness he had been expecting, the crushing grip on his shoulder relaxed as a sob came from the attractive girl. Wincing, he opened his eyes at the sound of running feet, alerting him to the fact that he was safe as she ran away, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Out on the street, the female ran through the crowd, knocking people off balance when she hit them, all the while putting as much distance as possible between her and the shopkeeper. As she became conscious of the pain permeating her body, the girl slowed her pace from a fast run down to a shambling walk. Angrily wiping at her tears, she turned into a narrow alley and leaned against the building, staring up at the clear night sky, wishing she could see the stars. With slow deep breaths and an iron will she regained control of her rampaging emotions before jack-knifing over as hunger pangs wracked her thin frame, and reminding her what she had been after in the store.  
  
"Damn it, I hate this!" she growled, stepping back onto the bustling sidewalk.  
  
With one arm wrapped around her torso, she quietly threaded her way through the throng, careful not to gather any attention or more than what her looks got her, searching for what would allow her to accomplish her mission. She found it twenty minutes later, close to where she had first entered the town, tucked in a small building shared with other businesses. The number of customers worried the girl as she stood outside looking inward, but the smell of food overpowered her sense of caution and she stepped through the doors. Once at the counter she faced another battle with herself as she pulled out her wallet and looked at the meager amount of money in it.  
  
"Two medium bowls of beef ramen to go, please," she ordered, deciding to stick to the middle ground.  
  
Later while she walked down a darkened road, she wondered if it had been the right decision as the smells of the food caused her stomach to rumble. Meals had been so intermittent in the last twelve months that it was hard for her not to gorge herself whenever she did eat, yet she knew that the little resources she did have couldn't be wasted. So she ignored her stomach, remembering all the commodities that had been wiped away in a single day, stolen by those who cared nothing for the world just themselves. But it was the wrong thing to think about, as her fingers tightened on the bag when she remembered what else she had lost on that fateful day NERV fell, the day she was turned into a fugitive. But before she could become lost in her memories, again, her destination came into view.  
  
Stopping at the front door of the rundown house, she briefly ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at the oily and rough texture of it, before stepping through the portal into the darkness. Despite having only taken up residence a day ago, she knew where to step to avoid all the damage in the floor as she made her way to a back room. It also helped that there was a faint glow coming from the room she was heading for, and she felt herself frown briefly before stepping into the light.  
  
"Dinner's here, Shinji," she proclaimed, walking over to the small fire her companion had built.  
  
The teenage boy looked up from where he was sitting and stared at her, a spark of life appearing in his dull eyes at the sight of her. His smile was a welcome sight after the troubles of the day, but she'd never tell him, as it conveyed a sense of caring. Shaking her head, the girl turned and walked over to where her backpack was and sat down, not wanting him to see her reaction. Having to survive on the run was tough enough ordeal, she thought without having to deal with.  
  
"Did you have any problems?" Shinji asked, coming to sit next to her.  
  
The girl reached into the bag and pulled out one of bowls. "No."  
  
"Asuka, we said that we wouldn't lie to each other," Shinji stated, watching her in the glow of the fire. "Because we only have each-"  
  
"Don't say it!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"Fine! I had a little trouble!" she exclaimed. "Bet you're happy that I almost screwed up."  
  
"No," he whispered. "I'm not happy, Asuka, just worried."  
  
The redhead didn't reply to his statement. Instead she pulled off the lid covering her meal and started eating, seeing Shinji copy her when he realized the conversation had ended. The rest of the night passed in that forced silence, each doing their own small things to get ready for the next day until finally the fire was just glowing embers. While Shinji prepared their sleeping arrangements Asuka brushed her teeth and washed her face, trying to prolong the time before the inevitable. A frown appeared at what she observed when she stepped back into the room, or more precisely her anger flared at where her companion was.  
  
Without uttering a single word she strode over to the tired boy, reached down and stripped off the single blanket covering him and grabbed his upper arm tightly. Her fingers dug into his muscles as her grip tightened when he resisted being pulled to his feet, and with some effort she guided Shinji over to the makeshift bed in the center of the room. Asuka heard a sigh come from him when he glanced at her with a defeated look on his face when she gestured at the coverings on the floor. She waited while he crawled under the comforter and shifted around until he was positioned correctly before joining him under the covers. Their sleeping arrangements were a matter of survival and not out of any physical desire she reminded herself again while trying to fall asleep.  
  
"Asuka."  
  
Shinji's voice was barely a whisper yet it woke the redhead immediately from her slumber. But something about his tone which made her keep her eyes shut and not acknowledge the boy, waiting to see what he'd do. Banishing any weird thoughts, she forced herself to relax when she felt him shift next to her, clenching her jaw tightly when a hand rested on her shoulder. She wondered if he was going to try and kiss her as she felt his warm breath on her cheek, yet she was surprised when he stopped. His breathing was ragged and she heard him lick his lips, which somehow reassured her.  
  
"Asuka," he repeated. "No matter what happens, I promise that I'll." The redhead held her breath when he paused, wondering what he was going to say. "I promise that I'll-"  
  
"-do your hair?"  
  
The broken house, the open sky, her mistake on that day, and sleeping next to Shinji all disappeared back into the past, back into the recesses of her mind when she opened her eyes at the last words. Stark whiteness of a bedroom, the comforting softness of a bed combined with the warmth of sunlight, and Shinji leaning against one wall studying her with a neutral expression on his face replaced her past memories, while she became aware of her present surroundings. She frowned, the words of his promise, one she wasn't supposed to know of, reverberating through her mind as what he had said conflicted with what she had just heard. Groaning, she sat up on the bed, crossing her legs underneath her while combing the mess that was her hair with one hand before turning her head to look at her companion.  
  
"What did you say?" she inquired, tiredly.  
  
"I asked if you were going to get up soon and get ready for our appointment, which coincidentally is in." He paused, looking at his watch. "Two hours."  
  
"Don't be such a worrywart, that's plenty of time," she replied with a smirk.  
  
Shinji sighed quietly, shaking his head at hearing her retort to his concerns about getting to another arranged meeting, but he didn't say anything. Ever since their hit-and-miss operation in Germany that had killed her father and Wilhelm Rintzler, a member of SEELE, Asuka had changed. While she had always been serious about what they were trying to accomplish now there was an undertone of worry to her actions, and she tried to cover up that worry by acting carefree about everything else. And it was that carefree act that slightly worried him since it was exactly how she had acted during the Angels, the only good thing was it only showed when they were talking about their vendetta. A quiet cough broke his train of thoughts and he looked up to see Asuka sitting on the edge of the bed, her bare legs dangling over the side.  
  
"Umm.I'll leave now, so you can get dressed," he said quickly, his face heating up, and moved toward the door.  
  
"No." The quietly spoken word caused the man to stop abruptly, and Asuka gave him a smile when he looked over his shoulder at her. "You can stay. In fact, I want you to, though." She twirled a finger in the air to signal what she wanted.  
  
The redhead watched Shinji take up his prior position in front of the window, but this time his back was toward her as he stared through the panes of glass, before she got off the comforting bed. She just didn't understand his actions concerning her at times, Asuka thought while rummaging through the drawers of the bureau for some clothes. Through the years they had seen each other in various states of undress since their prior living arrangements had never given either much privacy, they had even seen each other nude. Though she reminded herself that at those times one of them had normally been unconscious from some type of wound.  
  
"I'm just as uncomfortable as Shinji," she confessed quietly, and checking to see that he wasn't looking, opened her robe.  
  
As he stared out at the setting sun, Shinji would've been surprised to learn that he was mirroring Asuka's exact same thoughts, except for a minor deviation. Hearing the sound of cloth brushing over skin, he roused himself from his stupor and concentrated on preparing for what might occur that night. At the Trans-Siberian Railroad terminal in Slyudyanka, someone had slipped a message into Asuka's pocket with neither of them noticing, telling them who they were to meet where and when. That Kenji hadn't followed the procedure they had set up months ago concerning how they would make contact with others worried him.  
  
"So.who do you think we'll meet?"  
  
Asuka looked up at his question, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know, maybe our guardian angels." She resumed dressing at hearing a chuckle. "Kenji's the only one who knows all our aliases; maybe the person just got lucky."  
  
"Maybe, or it could be the Russian Mafia trying to impress us," he said, his eyes narrowing at the thought. Nothing had felt right since they had read that note, but who could blame them after so many close calls in the past. "Or it could just be SEELE, guiding us into."  
  
His words trailed off at feeling Asuka wrapping her arms around his torso, pulling him backward into a gentle embrace while her chin came to rest on his shoulder. Her breath was a slow steady presence while it caressed his ear, a definite similarity to his own breathing, as they stood there quietly.  
  
"It's not SEELE," the redhead whispered, tilting her head on his shoulder, watching and waiting.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"A feeling."  
  
"I don't know," he replied. "Maybe you're."  
  
Again the redhead holding him interrupted, stopping him in mid-sentence by briefly pressing her lips against his neck. Turning around in her arms, he felt his stomach clench at the sight of her sky-blue eyes filled with concern, a stark contrast to their normal liveliness. He smiled weakly, and reached up to brush a few stray strands of auburn hair off her cheek her cheek with a finger. And was rewarded with a small smile in return. Slowly, he ran his hands down her bare arms, getting her to release him from her hug, and gently intertwined his fingers with hers while drawing her closer.  
  
Shinji watched her eyes carefully as he leaned in closer, searching for any signs of fear. He knew from his experiences with the redhead that she had to feel comfortable, and wasn't being forced to do something against her will. Not that he'd ever force her to do anything; he'd rather die than hurt her. So it was with relief he felt the tension drain from his body as he saw first shock, then surprise, and finally love in her eyes before they closed. Following her lead, he closed the remaining distance between them and softly kissed the redhead.  
  
It was different from the times before when she had initiated the kiss between them. Back then it had been more of test for her than of Shinji, to see if she could lower the barriers around her and get close to someone. Now though, as she stood there kissing him, Asuka realized why it was different as a moan escaped her lips. For the first time in their relationship Shinji had taken the initiative, and it felt wonderful. She didn't have to worry about rejection, or the thought that she'd be left alone after opening up. There was no room for thoughts about their mission, or SEELE. The only thing she had to do was to convey her feelings for the man in front of her through her lips.  
  
Shock filled his body as he felt her hands leave his own, but before he could do anything Shinji felt Asuka wrap her arms around him. He lowered his hands to her waist and held her close. Hearing the little sounds coming from the woman brought a smile to his lips even as he continued kissing her. For so many people who had known her in school she was simply "The Devil", a girl who didn't care about others. But he knew that wasn't true because like him she had a hard time opening up to people, having been hurt so much in the past. Beneath the layers of armor was a caring woman, and it warmed his heart knowing he was the one that let that woman out. And it was that insight about her character that caused him to softly break the kiss after so long.  
  
"That was completely unexpected, nice but unexpected," Asuka whispered, leaning her head against his chest while his arms went around her again. "I wish we had." she stopped, shaking her head and backed away from Shinji with reluctance.  
  
"Asuka."  
  
Tears threatened to fall from the redhead's eyes at hearing the love and worry in his voice, but she blinked them away as she let her fingers trail down his arm, briefly touching his hands before turning away. With a force of willpower she walked away from him, her steps steady while her mind and emotions raced about what she had almost said to Shinji, something that she been thinking about more and more but unable to act upon because of their situation. Shaking her head she forced the thought, and accompanying emotions, back into the recesses of her mind waiting for the day when she could let them free, but for the moment she had other concerns. In the mirror she saw Shinji still standing where she had left him, a forlorn expression on his face as he brought his hand up and touched his lips before he looked up, their eyes meeting instantly. Her heart sank at the expression but she smiled, turning around and extending her arm toward him, her palm upward, and waited for him to come to a decision. Her smile grew when he strode towards her seconds later, his hand gripping hers gently before their fingers intertwined.  
  
"Do you want to brush my hair for me?" she inquired quietly, her smile turning into a smirk at the blush on his cheeks. "That was one of things you were asking me about when you disturbed my sleep, right."  
  
"Yeah, but." He squeezed her hand. "Are you sure you want me to? After all I've never done it before."  
  
Asuka laughed. "I'm not asking you to do anything complicated with my hair like styling, I can do that myself, just brush it." She looked away briefly, her free hand coming up to the shoulder wounded in Germany. "And with the way my shoulder hurts it's a pain in the ass to do it one-handed." Her eyes once again made contact with Shinji's, but this time they were dancing with humor. "Besides, if you screw up it'll be the last time I let you touch my hair."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Despite his dry reply Shinji was smiling once again as he let go of Asuka's hand when she sat down in front of the mirror, though he was nervous about what he was about to do. Picking up a comb, he began working the knots and snarls that had formed after she had fallen asleep, careful never to pull too hard. He had never told her how shocked he had been when she had started dying her hair then cutting it, the more to disappear in a crowd she'd explained. But to him it was just one more facet of her that set the redhead apart from everyone else and made her special to him. So he had been happy when she stopped altering her appearance a few weeks after leaving Germany, letting her hair grow past her shoulders as its natural color returned, though she'd call him weird for his fixation on her hair. He was so intent on doing a good job, and lost in thought, he never noticed Asuka staring at him in the mirror a thoughtful expression on her face.  
  
"Shinji."  
  
"Hmm," he hummed never stopping in his work.  
  
"Do you." she took a deep breath and slowly released it before continuing. "Do you have any regrets?"  
  
This time Shinji stopped what he was doing, setting down the comb and picking up the brush in front of Asuka. "That's a pretty vague question," he finally replied. "Do you want to know if I regret never telling my father how I felt, or Misato and Rei?" He started to brush her hair with slow steady strokes, trying to ignore how her shoulders had tensed at his last comment. "Or do I regret anything that's happened between us?"  
  
"No! None of that," Asuka exclaimed, her cheeks turning red but her voice was quieter when she spoke. "Do you regret what we're doing, the killings?"  
  
"No," he answered without hesitation. "I don't regret anything we've done." His strokes slowed and his voice became softer. "I don't like what we've had to do, but it's necessary. It's necessary if we ever want to be free, to realize your dream."  
  
"But."  
  
"We're stronger than we think, Asuka."  
  
That simple reply caused the redhead to snap her mouth close, keeping herself from delivering a snappish retort and sat back in the chair while organizing her thoughts. It was true they had accomplished more in their vendetta then she had even wished for in the last year, and one could reasonably conclude they were strong, both physically and mentally, but that person would've been wrong. Their victories in eliminating three members of SEELE had extracted a terrible price from the two former pilots, emotionally and physically. She knew nightmares haunted Shinji frequently while her own dreams kept her awake far more then she was comfortable with, and the only thing keeping them from snapping at each other was the knowledge that the other cared. She also knew that despite their attempts at indifference to their wounds, the physical pain was almost as great as the emotional. Her shoulder throbbed constantly while her fingers would go numb if she held her arm at a certain angle, or how her body still held the bone bruises from Chicago, and the list went on but it didn't compare to Shinji, who was talking at the moment. Asuka shook her head clearing her thoughts, and messing up the progress Shinji had made with her hair.  
  
"What'd you say?" she asked, ignoring the sigh that came from the man.  
  
"I asked what's wrong with you all of sudden," he explained. "You told me not to worry but then you ask me if I regret anything." He lifted his eyes from her hair and looked at her in the mirror. "Is something bothering you?"  
  
"Yes." She gave him a weak smile. "And no." She reached back and covered his hand that had come to rest on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "When the time is right I'll tell you, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
- - - -  
  
"The decorators must have been blind," muttered Asuka, as they were lead deeper into the restaurant.  
  
Shinji nodded in silent agreement at her observation of the surrounding furnishings while his eyes kept darting around taking in the customers of the establishment, but it was a futile endeavor. In spite of the large number of light fixtures the interior was dim, almost gloomy, from the way the dark wood paneling and wall coverings absorbed the light, but the place did have one advantage. While the thick curtains and miles of fabric on the walls contributed to a dim atmosphere they also served to cut the noise to a minimum. As they walked, he noticed that the sounds of conversations didn't carry very far from the widely spaced tables, which was fortunate. His eyes stopped moving around as their pace slowed and he studied their destination, which was a small alcove in the back corner next to a large window.  
  
Asuka considered herself to be of average height considering her German- Japanese heritage, but when their host stood up to greet them she wished for a few more inches. He easily towered over them by eight inches and was all muscle despite the gray hairs at his temples while his face was made of lines and angles. His hazel eyes stared at them dispassionately for a minute before he nodded curtly and smiled at what he saw. With one hand he pulled open the jacket of his black suit and showed that he was unarmed, though it didn't reassure the couple since he out-massed them.  
  
"Mister Ikari, Miss Soryu." The man had a sonorous voice, and his smile grew at their reaction as he spoke in German. "Your exploits have proceeded you and I am very pleased to finally have made your acquaintance." He gestured at the nearby table and chairs. "I'm sure we have much to talk about, so please be seated."  
  
Shinji pulled out a chair at the head of the table for Asuka, after their host had taken his own, and waited until she had sat down before joining them. But instead of reaching for his glass like his companion he reached into an inner pocket, aware of the man watching him, and pulled out a disk four-inches in diameter and three-quarters of an inch thick. Dark blue eyes made contact with hazel eyes and each stared at the other before a slight nod gave Shinji permission to continue. The former pilot knew as he placed the device on the window, that once the device was activated it would send a continuous vibration through the glass disrupting any attempt at monitoring their conversation from the outside. Only when he was done with that task did he turn back to the table and reach for the crystal goblet in front of him.  
  
"Now that that has been taken care perhaps you'd be so kind as to answer a few questions," Shinji said slowly, while staring at the man, who nodded.  
  
"The first question is who the hell are you?" asked Asuka in German, deciding to stick to one language for the moment.  
  
"Gregoriy Pokryshin. Colonel Pokryshin of the Komitet Gosudarstvennoye Bezopastnosti to be exact," the man stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"The fucking KGB!" The redhead started laughing with the realization of who was sitting across from her. "I thought you guys had been disbanded back in the 1990's after the big ruckus of changing governments."  
  
Gregoriy shrugged his shoulders. "We simply changed our name and disappeared from the public's eye." He reached for his glass and took a sip. "Second Impact allowed us to resume much of our old activities, in the name of national security of course."  
  
"Of course," Shinji repeated his face grim and his mind racing as he tried to figure a way out. "So what exactly are you going to do, arrest us?"  
  
"No," the man simply stated. "If my desire was to arrest both you and Miss Soryu I would've done it when you crossed into Russia two weeks ago." His smile was mocking as he looked at Asuka. "Or when I slipped the two of you the note at Slyudyanka, but."  
  
"You didn't," finished Asuka. "Why?"  
  
"One, is that a Mister Kenji Namikawa speaks highly of you two."  
  
"How do you."  
  
"How I know of your middleman is unimportant at the moment." Gregoriy ignored the looks he received and continued on. "Second, is that the two of you have become quite adept at killing those who have wanted to capture you, if the files Interpol have collected on you are correct. I didn't know how many people I'd have lost nor what the civilian casualties would've been if I had tried to take you prisoner." He held up a finger silencing Shinji before he could protest. "I'm sure you'd have taken care not to kill innocents, but I wouldn't have risked it no matter what."  
  
"Third, is."  
  
Asuka tuned out the man as he continued to ramble on about why he was currently having dinner with two fugitives instead of taking them down to the local government building or wherever they put important prisoners. Instead her attention was on her partner who despite his earlier attempt at speaking was unusually calm and silent, and it scared her because she knew of one other promise they had made with each other. Her eyes narrowed as his right hand moved in small increments toward his open jacket, and the holstered pistol he always carried. Knowing that his laid back appearance was a deception and the KGB officer was taking in everything that was happening in front of him, the redhead reached across the table and took Shinji's hand into her own. She was aware that the colonel had stopped speaking at her actions but she ignored him, her eyes staring into Shinji's after he had turned to stare at her. Slowly, she shook her head and squeezed his hand lightly, releasing her breath moments later as he picked up his glass.  
  
"Now that's been taken care of," interrupted Pokryshin, alternating his gaze between the two of them. He leaned forward his elbows resting on the table with his hands folded in front of him. "Shall we get down to the business at hand?"  
  
"All right."  
  
"Good. So why don't you start by telling me your story from the very beginning then you can explain why you want my help in killing the Russian premier." The officer sat back in his chair, gazing at Shinji and waiting for an answer. "Though if you can't convince me then."  
  
"You'll be dead and we'll be on our way," finished Asuka with no emotion in her voice; she was simply stating the facts as how she saw them. Without looking at the man, she picked up the menu on the table and gave it a cursory glance surprised at the prices of the dishes. "But before we begin might I suggest we order something to eat?"  
  
"Of course, Miss Soryu."  
  
- - - -  
  
The temperature had dropped a few degrees from its high during the afternoon but the humidity was still high, making the air heavy and sticky. Shinji couldn't decide if it was the humidity of the night making him irritable and uncomfortable or what they had just finished minutes ago. They had spent the last two hours in the back of a fine restaurant spilling their life histories to a stranger, who was a complete unknown in the pilot's mind concerning his supposed position in the KGB. But it wasn't relating to the man their experiences concerning the Evangelions or the Angels, which was more painful then he thought it would be, or why they had run for so long before making up their minds to strike back. Even talking about what SEELE wanted with them and how the Russian premier was a member of that organization wasn't uncomfortable. Instead it felt that the man already knew everything about them and their reasons for their recent actions, and he was just going through the motions of confirming that information. Still if the night was making him frustrated it had made his companion entirely uncivil, rude to point of being hostile to those around them.  
  
"You know what I hate the most, Shinji?"  
  
Stopping, he turned and quietly studied the woman who had stopped walking beside him as they made their way back to the car, amazed that someone who was so beautiful could look so deadly at the same time. Locked forward and narrowed, hinting at anger simmering just below the surface, her eyes were cold, showing none of their usual warmth and gentleness. He could almost hear her teeth grinding together as she clenched her jaw tightly while her lips formed a grim frown at her displeasure.  
  
"You know what I hate?" she repeated.  
  
"No."  
  
Her fists clenched tightly. "Being played for a fool, that's what pisses me off. That." She jerked her head back toward the restaurant. "That whole meal with our explanation was a stupid charade, along with that man; KGB my ass!" Her body was shaking, not from fear or cold but anger, as she spoke. "Damn it, I fucking hate."  
  
"Asuka, it's all right," whispered Shinji as he took one of her hands, pulling gently to get her walking again.  
  
"Don't tell me you."  
  
"No, I don't believe a single word he spoke back there." He was slowly shaking his head. "He found a specific redheaded woman traveling with a certain Oriental man by himself so easily; not likely. Not only that but."  
  
The redhead listened with rapt attention as he spoke of everything that had been bothering him through the night, relieved to know she wasn't the only one bothered by events. As she walked with him, she was amazed at the little details he had picked up on, which she had missed entirely because of her anger at the situation. She frowned as she remembered the number of times during the Angels that her anger had blinded her, almost losing her life because of it, and knew she had to regain control of it, again. But even as she realized that something clicked in her mind, something she hadn't liked from the very beginning of their vendetta, and her anger started rising again in a fury.  
  
"Puppets," she hissed. "That's all we are to these people."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"First it was NERV, then SEELE, and now this," Asuka continued not hearing Shinji. "They're not our guardian angels, but puppet masters manipulating us for their goals, not ours."  
  
The implication of her statement was too much for the woman and she suddenly sagged against her companion, burying her face in his chest as he hugged her. Everything they had done and accomplished in the last months, all their suffering and pain they had gone through was all for naught. Her dream of being free from secret organizations that controlled her life, to be able to do what she wanted without having someone constantly looking over her shoulder, was fracturing. What was the use of fighting and killing members of one organization when another was in the shadows pulling invisible strings attached to the former pilots? Shaking her head, Asuka banished those thoughts knowing that if she thought like that then they might as well end it all, and besides it was Shinji's duty to do the worrying not her.  
  
"What do we do now, Asuka?"  
  
"We keep fighting SEELE, that's what we do for now. And when we finally meet up with the puppet master we cut the strings." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Permanently."  
  
"Well, well, well isn't that a pretty sight. Makes me wish I was in his place, though that'll happen soon."  
  
The redhead disengaged from Shinji, taking a couple steps to the side, at the sudden interruption and her eyes narrowed in irritation at what she saw. They had been alone on the sidewalk leading to the parking garage just moments earlier, but now four rough looking men blocked their path and from the way they were arrayed in front of two pilots, and their comment, it was obvious what they intended to do. Cocking her head to the side, Asuka studied them for a moment before a grim smile came to her lips and she calmly stepped forward stopping within arms reach of the punks. Placing her hands on her hips, she let her eyes travel from man to man, lingering for a couple seconds before moving on, and seeing with satisfaction their nervousness at her cool attitude. Finally done with her assessment, she reached up and brushed a couple loose strands of hair back over her shoulder before a laugh escaped her lips.  
  
"Why don't you boys leave us and go back to your mothers before you get injured or something worse," she said quietly, her voice dripping with contempt.  
  
"Why you stupid bitch!" shouted the leader lunging for her. Only to stop abruptly, all color draining from his face when she stepped past his arms.  
  
"Be a nice little boy and leave," stated Asuka, her pistol pressed against his torso. "I really don't think you'll survive this encounter if you don't do as I say." For emphasis she pushed the gun harder against him, seeing his eyes grow wider and sweat trickle down his face. "And your friends won't be of any help to you either. So the choice is yours to make on whether you walk away quietly or have a hole blown through your body."  
  
Shinji stood behind the pair, his shooting arm lowered and his gun resting against his leg, listening to what Asuka was saying and growing a little scared. Her voice had never moved beyond a conversational tone, like she was talking to a friend, as she told the punk that he'd either live or die but it was his choice. So it was with relief when the man backed away from the redhead before casually motioning for his friends to follow as he walked away from the pair, but their apparent coolness was betrayed by their quick pace and nervous glances over the shoulder. A sharp exhalation brought his attention back to the redhead as she replaced her pistol in the shoulder holster before turning around.  
  
"Am I getting soft, Shinji?" she inquired as he walked up to her. "I would've killed them without hesitation months ago just on the on the chance of them being bounty hunters, but I didn't."  
  
"Of course you're not soft. You realized that nothing would've been gained by killing them."  
  
"I guess you're right."  
  
"I'm always right," he quipped, gently taking her hand in his once again. "We should get going before they decide to foolishly come back with more friends."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She fell quickly into step next to her companion, the dinner forgotten for the moment, but knowing the night wasn't over with. All her nervous energy would have to be bled off before she'd be able to sleep or even analyze what had occurred that night with a clear head. Sighing, she looked up at the night sky and frowned, the glow of the city blocking out her view of the stars, before briefly closing her eyes remembering her earlier dream. Turning her head slightly she studied the man walking beside her, smiling when he noticed her observation of him. She didn't say anything at his puzzled look instead picking up her pace until the entrance to the garage finally came into view and he pulled out the card to gain them access.  
  
"Thank you, Shinji."  
  
- - - -  
  
The day could've been the painting of an artist with its light blue sky dotted with a few long thin clouds, a gentle breeze stirring the grass, and a forest stretching out for miles. The sun was three-quarters of the way through the sky, showering the surrounding plants and animals with much- needed light and thermal energy to sustain life. A flock of birds took flight, their passage taking them over a cabin situated on the edge of the forest with a small lake a short distance away. Everything at that moment was the epitome of serenity, but like all things it wasn't meant to last as a gunshot brutally shattered the silence.  
  
Shifting on the mat she was resting on, Asuka looked through the spotting scope squinting because of the glare, all the while trying to ignore the sweat that trickled down her temples. Despite her light clothing and netting draped over them, the redhead was hot and sticky from having the sun beat down on her all day and her temper threatened to flare at any moment. What she saw through the scope did nothing to help her disposition or give her a chance to suppress her growing jealously at Shinji's natural skill with shooting though he'd never touched a rifle in his life. With a force of will, she pushed those feelings down and promised herself she wouldn't let her jealously get in the way of their mission or anything else. It wasn't her fault that her shoulder wouldn't allow her to hold a rifle let alone shoot it she reasoned before a frown touched her lips when she realized it was her fault. Shaking her head, she noted the position of the shot and marked it on the pad next to her before rolling onto her back, wiping at her sweat before it could slide into her eyes.  
  
"Let's call it quits for the day, Shinji," she suggested.  
  
"But."  
  
"I'm hot, sticky, and in a serious need of a shower, mister. Not only that but I'm starving and tired of letting the bugs get a free meal!" She said sharply. "Sorry, I'm just done for the day and besides you really don't need the practice. You hit the center ring just like you've been doing all week."  
  
Shinji nodded absently before engaging the safety and sitting up, neither feeling satisfied nor guilty at hearing the result of his last shot. Glancing up, he made brief eye contact with Asuka before she looked away, staring downrange at the electronic target, but what he saw worried him. It took him a few moments as he dug through his memory trying to remember where he had last seen that emotion, but when he did his eyes became sad. She jumped at the slight contact as his hand came to rest on her knee, but he never removed it, not until she turned her head and acknowledged him with a faint smile.  
  
"I can't help feeling jealous, Shinji," she preempted. "I look at how you pick up things so easily while I have to work at them, and I can't help but feel." She trailed off, shaking her head angrily. "It's so stupid of me to act this way, especially since it could impair my judgment at a crucial time."  
  
"You think I've never felt jealous of you?" he inquired. "You think I've never felt jealous at how strong you are, how you challenge the universe to do its worst. Or how you live your life despite all the pain that's been inflicted upon you." He held up a hand stopping her words. "Asuka, we both have our strengths and weaknesses, you know that. It's what makes us special and unique." He exhaled slowly, frowning. "And to tell you the truth I'm not too thrilled at excelling in killing people."  
  
A smile quickly replaced his frown. "Dinner sounds good if you're willing to cook."  
  
"Idiot."  
  
- - - -  
  
"A vehicle's coming down the road."  
  
Glancing up from reading her paperback, Asuka stared at Shinji, who with soapsuds still on his hands was looking out one of the windows, with a doubtful look on her face. Visitors had been nonexistent since they had arrived at their current location a month ago so the redhead had the right to be puzzled. Putting the book down, she got out her chair and walked over to the sink nudging the man out of the way with her hip so she could look out the window into the darkness, frowning at what she saw. Sure enough a vehicle was approaching, its twin headlights bouncing up and down with the roughness of the road and reflecting off their own off-road vehicle as it finally reached the cabin. As the lights died the redhead straightened, her arms crossed and her fingers dancing in irritation while she thought.  
  
"Here's what we're going to do, Shinji."  
  
Minutes later in the silence of the cabin the front door opened and a man took a hesitant step in, pausing to let his eyes adjust to the low light. His breath was explosively driven from his body by a forceful blow just as he had started looking around at the empty living area. His knees impacted with the carpet when his legs were struck, gasping as an arm was forcefully twisted behind him and pulled upward, forcing him to remain upright. Tears slid down the man's cheeks as strong fingers grabbed his hair, forcing him to stare up at the ceiling while the light in the cabin became brighter. His eyes darted frantically from side to side, trying to see who was holding him, until the cold press of metal on his temple stopped his attempts.  
  
"Well, well if it isn't our friend Kenji."  
  
The man's eyes bulged at hearing the voice. "Asuka, what's the meaning of this? Please release me I haven't done anything."  
  
"No," her voice hissed in his ear. "I overlooked some things in the past because you were very useful to us, but no more. I'm through having others play games with my life."  
  
"What are you.hey!"  
  
"Be quiet," warned Asuka. "You better tell us the truth or spin a good tale because you don't want the alternative."  
  
Kenji sagged as much as his position allowed him to. "What do you want to know?"  
  
"Everything concerning us."  
  
Over the next half an hour, Kenji told the two pilots what he knew about their current situation and his past, how he had become involved with the black market. How a woman had called him, wanting to set up a meeting concerning his illegal activities and how much help he could be, after the first bounty had been placed on their heads. He told of how the number of contacts he had in the underground grew after he accepted their offer, of how he rose quickly to a position of respect despite his young age. The man spoke of how he contacted Kensuke and ensured that their early letters to Touji and Hikari arrived without problems.  
  
"What about when we met with you last year?" Shinji asked.  
  
"I was told that sooner or later you'd make contact with me and I was to cooperate fully," he explained.  
  
"And the weapons and contact people!" snapped Asuka.  
  
"All arranged by my employers."  
  
"Who the fuck are your employers?"  
  
Kenji shook his head. "I don't know. Each time I met with or talked to someone different." He tensed at hearing the hammer being drawn back. "I'm not lying, that's the truth!"  
  
Shinji watched carefully as emotions crossed Asuka's face before finally coming to rest on anger, but his fear that she'd kill Kenji was unfounded as she pulled the gun away. He released his hold on the man in front of him as the redhead stormed across the room to the fridge and grabbed something to drink. Walking past the kneeling man, he placed his own pistol on the table and made his way to where she was standing, but a couple steps away she spun around. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head at his action anger still coursing through her at the lack of answers that had come from Kenji, who was silently watching the pair. Nodding, he reached past her and opened the refrigerator retrieving his own drink before going to sit down.  
  
"You can get off your knees now."  
  
Kenji slowly stood on trembling legs. "What's going on here?"  
  
"Nothing that concerns you!" snapped the redhead.  
  
"The hell it doesn't! I'm on the run just like you two because of your stunt in Germany!" he retorted. "I should've said no when you wanted those specialty weapons."  
  
"How'd you find this place and us?"  
  
"I was.directed."  
  
"Perfect," stated Shinji, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "All the pieces have been gathered and are now being arranged on the board." The can crunched in his hand as he continued. "It'd wouldn't surprise me if Kensuke, Touji, and Hikari are more pawns, just like you."  
  
"What are you talking about, Shinji?"  
  
"Just that someone's manipulating all of us, including yourself," answered Asuka. "I call them the puppet masters while idiot over there calls them chess masters. It doesn't matter what we call them since it's all the same in the end." Her eyes narrowed at seeing Kenji fidgeting.  
  
"What's the matter with you?"  
  
"Um.well, you see I have some.ahh, bad news." The man took a deep breath, calming himself before looking the redhead in the eyes. "Touji, Hikari and their children disappeared less than a week after your Germany operation. My contact had no information concerning what happened, and the same was true of my own personal contacts." His fists clenched suddenly. "I'm sorry, but it appears SEELE has them."  
  
Kenji waited for the explosion of emotion from the pair, specifically from Asuka, concerning their friends but nothing of that sort happened. As he watched, Shinji ignored the liquid dripping off his hand unaware of his crushing the can he had been holding as his eyes went distant and empty at the news. The redhead appeared equally unaffected as she placed her drink on the dinner table before walking toward the bedroom door and slammed it behind her. He returned his gaze to the other pilot only to see him slowly rise seconds later from his chair and follow after his friend, his hand reaching for the latch when he came within range. The black marketer eyes widened when the man forcefully kicked the door open, breaking the latch and sending wood flying after three kicks before striding through the open portal.  
  
In the bedroom, Shinji marched through the broken door to the sound of shattering glass and ragged breathing as Asuka repeatedly smashed her fist against the mirror. Racing to where she stood, he reached out and grabbed her arm stopping her as she drew back her arm, preparing to hit the mirror again and as many times as needed to drive away her pain. Wrapping his arms around her, he gently pulled her away from her target, ignoring her struggling and cursing, and sat down on the bed when his legs finally made contact. With her sitting in his lap, he held her quietly waiting until her struggling slowed and turned into a slight tremor, and her snarling died into whimpers. As her body became limp, he relaxed his hold on her, one hand beginning to stroke her hair while he moved from underneath her until she sat beside him, her head on his shoulder. A sad smile touched his features when her eyes, holding unshed tears, finally closed and her breathing slowed becoming regular in its rhythm.  
  
Moving slowly as not to disturb her, the man eased her down until she was laying down her head resting on a pillow before he stood up and made his way to the bathroom and the first aid kit. He avoided looking the mirror fearful of what he would see in it or what he wouldn't see, afraid of the emptiness that was growing inside him. Grabbing the always-present white box and a damp towel he exited the bathroom, to see Asuka sitting on the edge of the bed her head bowed and auburn hair obscuring her features. His steps faltered as she turned her head and stared through him, her eyes devoid of all emotion, but he recovered and made his way over to her, kneeling at her feet.  
  
He grabbed the towel he had brought with him and reached for the hand Asuka had driven into the mirror, pausing briefly to study it. Slowly congealing blood, which trickled from the lacerations in her flesh, covered her slender fingers and dripped off the tips onto the floor. Using the towel, Shinji carefully dabbed at the blood, seeing the redhead wince at the touch, cleaning her skin and exposing the glass that had become embedded from her actions. Opening the first aid kit, he grabbed a pair of forceps pulling them from their packaging before returning his attention to Asuka, and with care removed the slivers of glass.  
  
"You broke your promise, Shinji," whispered Asuka, her uninjured hand coming to rest on his cheek. "You're crying."  
  
"I think I have a right!" snapped Shinji, regretting it immediately at seeing her reaction. "Sorry, but they were my friends, especially Touji."  
  
"I know."  
  
He applied some disinfectant to a piece of gauze, pressing it to her cuts before quietly continuing. "It's all right to cry, I won't ever hold it against you or think less of you."  
  
"It's not that easy to do, Shinji."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because it hurts so much, okay!" Asuka squeezed her eyes shut. "Hikari was my first and only friend back then, and now she's gone because of me!"  
  
"But-"  
  
She opened her eyes and cupped his chin. "I never had any friends before I came to Tokyo-3, none in college or at NERV's Germany Branch," she started. "No one wanted to be friends with a stuck up bitch like me and I wasn't interested in making friends, but something about Hikari made me become friends with her and no one else." A finger on his lips silenced Shinji. "Kaji was a crush, an important one but a crush none the less, while Misato was my commanding officer and guardian. You were a competitor who had to be shown my superiority, and Rei a person I didn't want to turn into at all costs. Touji and Kensuke weren't even worth a minute of my attention and were to be ignored. But Hikari was someone I could easily talk to knowing she wouldn't try and hurt me."  
  
"I didn't know." He said after she was done. "About Hikari, I mean. I figured out the others only after you went into the hospital, and I cleaned my life up." Without wasting a single move he wrapped a bandage around each injured digit. "But Asuka-" He glanced up from his work. "-I promise we'll rescue them somehow."  
  
"How do you know they're not dead?"  
  
He fixed her with a look that she knew all too well since she had used it on him all the time during the Angels. It was a look, which asked a person if they were truly that dumb in not being able to figure out a simple problem. Sighing, she broke eye contact and looked up past his shoulder to the mirror that was cracked and bloody from her fist.  
  
"Because there were no bodies," she said. "They're being used as bait to draw us out."  
  
"We surrender and our friends get their freedom."  
  
"Which will never happen because we know what they want to do with us."  
  
Shinji nodded seeing the pain on Asuka's face at what had to happen. "I don't like it but Touji and Hikari will have to suffer just a bit longer."  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
- - - -  
  
Asuka banished the conversation from the week before out of her mind, flexing her hands in frustration and ignoring the pain that came from her injured one. With a snort of irritation, she returned to her observation of the plain situated just below the small knoll that they were dug in on, and frowned at what she saw. The stars, which had earlier twinkled against a clear black sky, were disappearing as the eastern horizon grew hazy from the rising sun. The breeze that had kept them cool all night was picking up speed, bending leaves and grasses alike, and hinting at what could come later. A hint of moisture was also in the air and Asuka dreaded at having to sit and watch in a downpour, soaked to the bones while they waited for their target.  
  
"Couldn't sleep any longer?"  
  
Shifting in her large sleeping bag, the redhead came to rest on her uninjured shoulder, her head on a small pillow while her gaze rested upon Shinji, who currently had the watch. Her eyes drifted to the long deadly shape of the .50 caliber sniper rifle with its boxy viewfinder and felt herself grin with satisfaction. She had nothing against shooting a person in the back or not giving warning to their target if it meant she accomplished her mission, and the sniper rifle accomplished all of that. With them shooting from a range of one and a half kilometers, the target would have absolutely no warning of what was going to occur until the shell impacted, and it kept them safely out of range of any retaliation. A quiet cough interrupted her thoughts, and she brought her gaze back to her partner seeing the concerned look on his face.  
  
Squirming out of the comfort and warmth of the bag, she moved the short distance to where he was, nudging him out of the way and ignoring his quiet protests. She knew that he should be the one to take the shot when the opportunity finally presented itself but knew she might have to shoot if something happened so she had to keep abreast of the situation. Sighing, she nestled the butt of the rifle against her shoulder, wincing at the pain, and reached forward making sure the safety was disengaged before resting her finger over the trigger guard. Once she was done with that she lifted her gaze until she was looking through the viewfinder.  
  
And the shadowed realm of the morning disappeared, the finder's low- light capability transforming the landscape into various shades of gray. With a touch of a button, Asuka switched to the thermal imaging setting and was rewarded with a much sharper display than what Shinji had been using moments earlier. Walls, trees, vehicles, clothing, and every mundane material were no protection against the viewfinder as the redhead saw where everything that radiated thermal energy was located on the plain. She double-checked, with quiet detachment, the number of guards stationed in and around the dacha, and felt anger rise as she spotted the room where their target was sleeping. She had to stop herself as her finger tightened on the trigger and an aiming reticule formed as the ballistic computer sensed the change of pressure on the trigger. While the rifle was powerful even it couldn't penetrate multiple walls at that distance, and the target was on the far side of the house.  
  
"It's yours, Shinji," she stated, moving from her position and sitting up. "I'm going to check the equipment so I'll be back soon."  
  
Shinji watched her retreating back for a few seconds as she crawled from underneath the netting and down the knoll before he returned to the rifle. He didn't have to worry about her being picked up by the security forces since the knoll blocked a majority of her movements, and she was wearing chameleon camouflage, a uniform that continually shifted patterns to break up her outline and suppressed any thermal signature. And besides they were both equipped with encrypted communication headsets so if she encountered anything he would know of it instantly. All of the equipment from the rifle to the uniforms was courtesy of Kenji's contacts, who in turn were part of the organization controlling them. Taking one last glance over his shoulder, he saw a flash of red before it disappeared and he turned back to the observation knowing that in a few hours she'd relieve him.  
  
- - - -  
  
"It's about damn time they did something," muttered Asuka.  
  
She had been prepared for another lousy night because throughout the whole day no one had emerged from behind the walls of the dacha, neither the target nor any of the guards. But as the sun started sinking below the horizon, turning the sky into various shades of reds and oranges, the estate had sprung into action. A multitude of vehicles were turned over and left running as preparations were made for the dacha to be vacated as the premier left for Moscow. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Shinji place his meal next to his side and take her place at the rifle as she moved to the powerful spotting scope situated next to him.  
  
Shinji felt his heart racing as he gazed through the viewfinder wondering not for the first time if this would work and knowing that a number of things could go wrong. But as he shifted into a comfortable position and zoomed in until only the house filled the screen he felt himself go oddly calm just like all the times before. Moving the rifle in minute increments he scanned the grounds, refreshing his memory of the layout of the grounds and anything that could mess up his shot. While he scanned, he thought to himself why the SEELE members had to have such large estates out in the country, a place where they were vulnerable to attack, especially after what had been happening to them.  
  
"They should've moved to the city."  
  
Asuka lifted an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"They're making this too easy by living in the country. They should've learned by now," he explained.  
  
"Doesn't matter to me, whether it's the city or the countryside. I just want them dead." She shrugged. "Besides arrogance makes people do weird things, and it's a sign of power and wealth." A new noise caused her to shift her scope. "Damn it!"  
  
The cause of her cursing was a business helicopter, which had been sitting idle for days, starting to spin up its turbines on the pad located on the west side of the mansion. He bit back his own curse, instead shifting the gun's alignment until the pilot's seat came into view. He grinned, seeing the pilot checking his gauges while the blades began to turn above him, knowing that he would be able to take a shot on the machine if needed. It wouldn't matter to Shinji which door Premier Stefan Deminov stepped through, he wouldn't arrive at his destination except in a body bag.  
  
"Front door, Shinji."  
  
The rifle barely moved on its mounting as Shinji shifted, centering the front door once again and walkway in the display. A red reticule appeared over the man's chest when Shinji applied a few ounces of pressure on the trigger and started the firing procedure. The ballistic computer, which was an integral part of the rifle setup, commanded the laser-range finder to fire and waited for the reflected light to return. As the range was calculated other sensors were feeding it important data such as wind speed and direction, outside temperature, barrel temperature and droop, and other important figures. Once the computer had all the input it needed, it generated a green reticule on the display slightly above the red one. With the slightest of movements Shinji brought the barrel up until the two reticules merged and turned green, and applied the needed pressure on the trigger.  
  
Despite knowing what was going to happen, Asuka couldn't help but flinch as the heavy gun barked once besides her, sending a single round speeding downrange. Still she hadn't removed her eye from the eyepiece on the scope and watched with intense scrutiny as the round impacted the man, dropping him where he had stood on the driveway ready to step into the waiting vehicle. She watched in triumph as the guards stood there stunned as a red mist settled to the ground, but her joy was short lived. The sounds of the helicopter intensified and as she swung her gaze to look at it, the machine leaped into the air, a man's legs sticking out of the passenger compartment. Only to crash moments later in a ball of fire and smoke after Shinji had triggered two three-round bursts into the pilot then the copilot.  
  
"We need to get going before they get their act together," she said after sitting up.  
  
"Yeah, you're right," he replied slowly. "Which route should we take?"  
  
The redhead stopped in her action of packing her backpack and briefly looked at him before her eyes went distant in thought. Planning had become more important after the Germany operation, especially escape routes, and they had scouted their current location thoroughly in the past month. To the north was a bevy of military bases with a combination of air and ground forces while to the west was Lake Baykal and its surrounding villages. South lead to the Chinese border and it's own host of problems if they tried to cross while going east lead into a vast expanse of wilderness. That they also needed to return to the cabin and retrieve the rest of their equipment only added to the equation, Asuka knew as she focused on Shinji.  
  
"We'll go with Plan Bravo."  
  
- - - -  
  
"We should've done the whole sniper thing from the very beginning," Asuka said. "All the killing with none of the injuries."  
  
Shinji didn't have anything to say in response so he just kept walking trying to ignore the inconvenience of the limp that he'd picked up in Germany growing worse with each mile. Leaning against a nearby tree, he paused to catch his breath and let Asuka reach his position, knowing she was suffering just as much as him. His eyes narrowed when she stopped next to him, absently rubbing her shoulder and favoring the side she had been shot in months ago, but he didn't reach out. Ignoring his own pain for the moment, he reached down and grabbed the canteen off his belt and took small sips, watching her do the same. Slowly, he slid down the trunk of the tree until he came to rest on the ground and gestured for her to sit next to him, which she did after briefly looking at him.  
  
"So why are we stopping here?" she inquired. "We could be back at the cabin in a couple hours having a nice bath followed by a hot meal and sleeping in a soft bed."  
  
"Because we're both exhausted from walking for four days straight and need to rest," he explained, not telling her they should've had Kenji pick them up. But she no longer trusted him and so he hadn't floated the idea. "The cabin isn't going anywhere so a couple of hours isn't going to make much of a difference."  
  
Asuka thought about that and muttered, "I always hate it when you're right."  
  
The redhead's eyes slowly opened, not remembering when she had closed them, and yawned while scanning the surrounding countryside with worry. Something had disturbed her rest, and while she looked through the trees she tried to figure out what had caused a feeling a dread to settle about her. She started to stretch preparing to stand and stopped immediately as her throat went dry at what she saw moving slowly toward them. Careful she lowered her head to her knees and watched the shapes slowly approach while her hand snaked down to her holstered pistol. Once she had her weapon in hand she reached over with her free hand toward Shinji, feeling reassured when he gripped her hand after it had come to rest. Tensed, she brought her pistol up centering it on the nearest target as it rounded a tree, and prepared to dash into woods after firing.  
  
Gunfire erupted from the duo as Shinji switched to automatic on the assault rifle he carried while Asuka pulled the trigger three times seeing her target drop as she sprang to her feet clutching Shinji's arm. She barely had time to dodge the trees when they sprang into view, darker shapes again the darkness of night, while she sprinted from the spot they had been napping. Angry shouts came from behind them, but she was soon falling in protest as she was yanked to the ground. Opening her mouth about to ask what he was thinking, the redhead shut it with a snap when the woods were briefly illuminated and felt a dull thump through the ground from a time-delayed explosive. As the white light was fading, she looked at Shinji to see him staring behind them with a frown on his face before she stood and tugged on his arm breaking him out of his trance and getting him moving at a fast trot. While they put more distance between them and their pursuers, the redhead was trying to figure out how they'd been found, and what she came up with didn't please her at all.  
  
"Shinji?" She rushed up to him as he staggered. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Run," he moaned.  
  
"What?"  
  
Then she saw the projectile sticking out of his neck just above where his uniform ended, and understood what had just occurred. With tears in her eyes she roughly grabbed him and started dragging him with her even as he struggled weakly to break free of her grasp. A sharp stinging sensation erupted on her own neck and with a gasp reached up and yanked out the tranquilizer dart but it was too late as the fast acting drug started taking effect. As her vision began to get blurry she felt herself fall to her knees and heard Shinji do the same a couple feet away. With the last of her failing strength she brought up her pistol, which seemed to weigh a ton, and took aim on the shape next to her and pulled trigger.  
  
Two shots echoed through the forest.  
  
- - - -  
  
"She's coming around now."  
  
"You should've been more exact with the dosage, it's been four hours already and I'm getting impatient."  
  
Asuka slowly awoke from her drug-induced sleep with a massive headache and her entire body aching from the impact of Shinji's bullet when they had tried to carry out their other promise. She found her arms and legs secured to a very uncomfortable chair while her head was unrestrained when she tensed her muscles preparing to spring at her captors. A hiss of pain escaped her parched lips when she opened her eyes to the glare of light before narrowing them and began surveying her surroundings. Her slight intake of breath didn't go unnoticed by the two men and she watched out of the corner of her eye as they walked over, one of them roughly jerked her head upward and her eyes widened in recognition.  
  
"So nice of you to join us Miss Soryu," crooned the one holding her chin.  
  
If a person could be killed by looks alone the man in front of her would've burst into flames from the hatred she was projecting. But behind her anger was a feeling of shock and failure that she hadn't felt since she'd lost her pilot status from the Angels and herself. Her body started trembling, knowing that she hadn't just failed herself but Shinji and their friends as well. The rest of the world didn't matter to her as her goal was simply to win their freedom and if Third Impact was stopped it was purely a side effect.  
  
"I'm glad that you recognize me," stated Stefan Deminov, his steel blue eyes cold and dark as they held her in their gaze. "Yes, I'm quite alive though I regret to say my double didn't survive his encounter with you two." His breath smelled of old age and decay causing Asuka to flinch as it touched her face. "And I regret to inform you that your pain is just beginning Miss Asuka Langley Soryu."  
  
Not prepared for him to forcefully shove her head backward, Asuka cried out in pain when her head ricocheted off a plate situated behind her. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her vision of stars, she didn't notice the other man's actions until she felt the sharp prick of a needle on her right arm which was followed by another one moments later. Looking down, she saw clear tubes used for intravenous drips projecting from her forearm and leading to two bags filled with solutions. Before she could protest, the man was attaching more sensor pads to her body augmenting the ones already placed, uncaring about her dignity. She tried glaring at him but found herself unable or unwilling to move a muscle as the drugs flowed through her body, weakening her both physically and mentally. The scrape of a chair of concrete brought her attention back to the man who she had thought they'd killed and saw him sitting down where he could observe what was about to happen.  
  
"Now then let's get down to business," said Deminov coldly after waiting for the drugs to take affect. "Who are the people who've helped you?"  
  
Asuka shook her head trying to the haze and mumbled, "I don't know."  
  
"Now, now that's not the best way to start this interview."  
  
Asuka saw her captor motion with his head, causing the other man to stand in front of her. She watched in horror as he reached forward but he wasn't reaching for her shirt instead his hand closed around her hand singling out her middle finger. Her jaw hurt as she clenched it tightly not wanting to give her torturer any satisfaction as the man increased the amount of pressure as he slowly bent her finger backward preparing to break it. She couldn't help but scream as the joint explosively failed, the cracking of cartilage and bone was audible to her ears as she felt ligaments and tendons tear under the stress. Tears blurred her vision and her breath was ragged but she forced herself to look at the broken digit, seeing it resting at a crooked angle and beginning to become discolored. Weakly raising her gaze, she bared her teeth at the man who was smiling at her pain and resolved that no matter what she'd kill him.  
  
"I've learned that pain and drugs make the perfection combination for extracting information."  
  
- - - -  
  
"Why aren't the Children on their way to Tokyo-3, Stefan?"  
  
"I've been trying to get the names of who has been helping them, Kihl."  
  
"That is not important."  
  
"I'd rather not share eternity with someone who has been trying to kill me."  
  
"Irrelevant. Get them on a transport immediately, Stefan. Or you many not live to see our paradise."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
The conversation ended abruptly as the transmitters shut down, and the electronic intercept officer who had been monitoring the transmission looked up at his commanding officer. The man stood in the exact location that the pilots had shot from and he had the same view as them while he thought. His orders were clear in what he was supposed to do but he didn't like having to go up against an alerted target even with covert operations troops. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned to his assistant and conversed with him for a moment before giving the order.  
  
- - - -  
  
The ceiling was his goal Shinji thought as he lay on a cold uncomfortable metal slab directing his concentration upward in an attempt to find the ceiling and be able to lose himself in its blankness, but it was a useless attempt. The cell he had found himself in was completely devoid of windows and light, and the pain coursing through his body made any attempt at concentration an exercise in futility. Broken ribs made breathing pure torture while fire radiated from his knee and lower leg a testimony to the coldness of his captor.  
  
Closing his good eye, he pushed the thoughts of the last hours and his interrogation out of his mind, and didn't think of the pain inflicted upon Asuka at the same time. He tensed his hand at thinking of the redhead only to whimper in pain as broken bones grated against one another before relaxing it. As the pain faded and his heart slowed he listened for his companion, smiling in relief as he heard her steady breathing in the room.  
  
"Asuka," he whispered or whispered to the best of his ability with a throat raw from screaming. "Asuka," he repeated louder and was rewarded with a moan from the woman.  
  
Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, he fought to remain conscious at the intense pain that swept through him starting in his torso and working out to his appendages. When the pinpricks of light stopped dancing across his vision, he tried to stand only to fall, his knees impacting with the concrete and sending new pain through him as one leg failed. On hands and knees, he crawled to where he had heard the moans coming from and cursed when his forehead made contact with metal, which he found to be another slab like his own after some exploration. Sitting back on his legs, he carefully reached out and ran a hand along the edge until he came in contact with warm flesh, and almost jerked it back when Asuka cried out.  
  
Standing, he braced himself with one arm and ignoring the pain allowed his other hand to flow over the redhead. From her hand up an arm covered in sticky blood over a shoulder to her neck until he reached her face. Trembling, he used that one hand as a guide while he bent down until he felt her breath on his own and without hesitation he gently pressed his lips against hers feeling her body tense before relaxing. He almost broke contact with her lips when she reached up and touched him, her hand resting on the back of his head holding him in place. After some time Shinji broke the kiss, the only sound in the room was their fast breathing while his hand lovingly stroked her cheek.  
  
"Idiot," whispered Asuka.  
  
Shinji opened his mouth but any reply he was going to make was cut off as the door behind him slammed open flooding the room with illumination. Squeezing his eyes shut against the sudden bright light, he started spinning around only to be knocked to the floor by a blow to the back of his head. Gritting his teeth, he started climbing to his feet, using Asuka's bed as support, only to stop when he felt the barrel of a gun pressed against his skull. He felt sweat trickle down his face at hearing heavy footsteps behind him as someone besides the one holding the gun entered the cell, and he knew that that person was the one who would pass judgment on them.  
  
"This is quite the dilemma you have put me in Mister Ikari and Miss Soryu," commented a familiar voice. "Do I shoot one of you here and end SEELE's plans for Instrumentality? Or do I take you with me back to my superiors which creates another set of problems for the two of you." The man stepped next to Shinji and bent down looking him in the eye. "Of course, I have my orders but they give me some leeway in deciding this issue."  
  
"So here is the question, Mister Ikari, live or die? It's your choice."  
  
Shinji felt his body grow cold at the question understanding the meaning of it and knowing that the choices given to him were truly no choices at all. If he chose to live he would give up his freedom, no matter how chaotic it was at times, and allow himself to be shackled to another's will and be controlled by them. If he chose to die, he shook his head at that thought, he'd be free from the pain of the world but then everything he had done in the last years would've been all for naught. He glanced at Asuka and his heart wrenched in fresh pain at seeing her stare at him while he tried to make his decision, which would not only affect him but also the redhead. Taking a deep breath, he felt himself grow oddly calm as he released it, having reached his decision to the question posed to him.  
  
"I choose to." A hand gripped his suddenly, nails digging into flesh and stopping him.  
  
"You promised," whispered Asuka, tears in her eyes.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Six years ago you promised me," explained Asuka, her voice low.  
  
"Six years ago." Shinji felt his eyes widen and tears slid down his cheeks as he remembered what he'd told her. His voice was thick as he spoke, "I promised that I'd-"  
  
"-you'd never hurt me."  
  
Colonel Pokryshin calmly watched as Shinji fell forward with a heart- wrenching cry, burying his face in Asuka's shoulder causing her to flinch at the pressure while he sobbed. Turning, he motioned for the soldier to follow as he left the pair alone to deal with their pain and the repercussion of their decision. It had come as no surprise that the man was ready to chose death if it allowed his companion to live and be free nor was his promise that great of a shock. What amazed him was that the redhead had reminded him of the promise and the consequences of him breaking it. As the crying faded he knew that the pair's profiles would have to be updated so no more surprises popped up but that wasn't his concern. Stopping at the stairs he glanced over his shoulder at the way he had come and the open door, and smiled knowing all the pieces were finally gathered.  
  
* * * *  
  
I really wish I had a good reason for why it took me over a year to finish a chapter but I don't. There was never any doubt that I'd put out another chapter or even finish the story but it seemed each time I started it something would come up. Not only that but I was never happy with the previous versions of this chapter. Oh well, hope it was entertaining.  
  
As for Shinji's promise to Asuka that's a little complicated to explain. We already know he wouldn't leave her alone voluntarily so that promise is out. We know that he'd never hurt her physically because it's not apart of his personality. That leaves hurting Asuka emotionally, which in my opinion is the worst thing he could do to the redhead. The next chapter will do a better job of showing what I'm trying to say.  
  
Historical fact: The longest sniper kill recorded was by U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War. He connected with a shot at 2,500 yards using a M-2 .50 caliber machine gun.  
  
As usual all comments are welcome: eva_pilot9@doramail.com 


	7. Honor Among Thieves

The Game Chapter 7: Honor Among Thieves  
  
By the Red Horseman  
  
Pre-reader: Weltall Elite  
  
* * * *  
  
There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.  
---Ernest Hemingway  
  
* * * *  
  
The tape player stopped playing with a click when it reached the end of the cassette, and Shinji slowly raised his head while pulling out the earphones. His school day had ended long ago and all the designated cleaning students had since disappeared to do whatever, leaving him all alone. Not that he cared about being alone or injured anymore after so many betrayals and sacrifices during the time of the Angels. Reaching down, his fingers closed around the frayed handle of his book satchel and picked it up, slinging its strap over one shoulder before exiting the quiet classroom.  
  
His footsteps echoed off the walls of the desolate hallways of the refurbished school as he made his way to his locker passing bulletin boards covered in flyers for school events. In the last months, the Japanese government and United Nations had expended enormous amounts of resources to rebuild Tokyo-3 and its suburbs, erasing the physical scars of war. But no amount of money could heal the emotional scars of people who'd suffered from the Angels and NERV, and so the school was at half its capacity. Not that any of it mattered to the Evangelion pilot who'd lost everything he'd gained and then some during the Angel War.  
  
The doors of the building closed behind him the locks engaging with barely a sound, and he pulled out his cellphone in curiosity at how many messages he'd have. With careful deliberation, he started highlighting and deleting the phone numbers of people he didn't feel like conversing with at the moment. That Misato's number was the most prominent among the messages and one that he was erasing caused him intense pain in his chest. He knew he was hurting her as much as himself by limiting contact between them, but he didn't know how to approach someone whom he'd felt betrayed by.  
  
"What took so long buddy?"  
  
Touji's presence was so unexpected that Shinji dropped his phone and tried to grab for it but an arm around his shoulders restricted the shorter teen. Plastic impacted concrete and bounced a couple of times before coming to a rest, and while he watched in resignation the small display flickered and turned black. Running a hand through his hair, he couldn't help but chuckle at the ironic turn of events caused by his friend, as now he didn't have to worry about calling anyone back. Disengaging himself from Touji's arm, he turned to see Kensuke and Hikari behind him with two completely different reactions to the minor accident. His humor abruptly disappeared when he noticed a fourth person standing a short distance behind Hikari.  
  
"Since she's new both to our school and Tokyo-3," Hikari explained at noticing his mood shift. "I thought we could show Kira the hotspots in town."  
  
That Kira's eyes lit up in excitement at hearing he'd be accompanying them around Tokyo-3 troubled him. Knowing that she was indeed new to the area, having only transferred to their school two weeks earlier, and would barely know her way around town didn't ease Shinji's mind. But what worried him was that she hadn't been around during the Angels and hadn't seen him at his worst, and that she might have a convoluted impression of him. Glancing at his friends, he hoped for confirmation that he was reading too much into the situation and that all that was going on was a simple request.  
  
Yet he was to be disappointed as only Kensuke answered his silent inquiry, and it was only with a shrug of his shoulders. Touji and Hikari were off to one side quietly conversing, and he knew what was going on. Their amateurish attempts at trying to hook him up didn't anger him, but he was becoming exasperated. The last months since the end of the Angels had been tough due to the fact that he had slowly been putting his life back together one difficult piece at a time. There were still times that he wanted to curl up and disappear but knew that wasn't a viable option, and his friends had helped a lot once they'd moved back. But just like Misato he didn't have the courage to tell them how he truly felt, that he wasn't interested in being involved intimately with someone.  
  
"I have an appointment I have to go to," he quietly stated.  
  
"At the hospital with Asuka," teased Touji.  
  
Kensuke shook his head in disappointment. "Sheesh, you go there everyday."  
  
"I do not go there everyday!" snapped Shinji. "And I wish you'd drop it, okay!" He closed eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself at seeing his friends' recoil. "I'm sorry, it's just that..."  
  
"It's all right we understand, don't we boys." Hikari glared at the two teenagers until they nodded. "But what time is your appointment?"  
  
"Five o'clock."  
  
"That gives us three hours to show Kira around." Hikari smiled when he nodded, but then turned serious. "So how is she?"  
  
"Okay, if you call being catatonic okay," Shinji answered bitterly. "They don't know when she'll wake up."  
  
"When she wakes up, not if she wakes up," whispered Hikari.  
  
"The recovery rate of people suffering from acute depression is fairly high. It's just there's a lot of drugs involved and..."  
  
Hikari squeezed his hand at the pain in his eyes. "I wish I could go see her."  
  
"I'm sorry but the Commander," Shinji bit off that word, "has restricted the visitors she can have."  
  
- - - -  
  
Sighing at remembering his conversation with Hikari, Shinji slid his card through the reader and opened the door when it buzzed. The nurses briefly looked up from their stations when he walked past the desk, but quickly returned to their duties as he continued down the hallway. He was no longer the curiosity that he'd been when he'd first started visiting Asuka instead he was turning into a permanent figure in the secure wing of the hospital. The Evangelion pilot hadn't been able to reach a decision on whether he should be worried that a hospital had become his home, or that like so many things it didn't matter. But like so many times in the past, the answer he'd have chosen became meaningless when he finally reached Asuka's door.  
  
Stepping into her room, he breathed a sigh of relief as the smell of antiseptics, while not cutoff, was at least reduced when he closed the door. The small room was brightly illuminated as the afternoon sunlight streamed through the large window dominating the far wall. His eyes quickly locked onto the bed and its occupant, but all that greeted him was the multitude of medical equipment surrounding it. Months ago that would've worried him, but not now since he knew the nurses would've alerted him to any change in the German girl's situation. Instead he made his way to the small table in front of the window, setting his satchel and another bag down before sitting down himself, his back toward the bathroom.  
  
"You're late, Shinji."  
  
Her voice was weak and barely audible, missing all of the bite it had carried during the Angels, but it contained an emotion he didn't want her to feel. Turning, he looked at the girl as she slowly crossed to the bed before sitting down across from him, and he felt another jolt of pain at her condition. During the months of stupor and sedation she'd become dangerously underweight, and despite having been eating solid foods recently she was still thin. Her long, auburn hair having lost its illustrious sheen rested above her shoulders while her skin was a gray pallor instead of the healthy tan. Though she still had so far to go before returning to her old self, she looked better then when she had originally awoken.  
  
"Hikari shanghaied me into showing a new student around town," he told her.  
  
Asuka's eyes were downcast, staring at the floor. "You know you don't have to keep coming to see me."  
  
"I want to be here, Asuka." He reached out and awkwardly took her hand, the first time he'd done so since her awakening. "I told you before I'm not doing it out of pity, or even guilt. I like being here with you."  
  
Which was the truth, the teenager told himself or at least a partial truth when one looked at everything concerning the two Evangelion pilots. Despite some episodes, which had occurred in the last months, he had grown farther apart from his father, and things didn't look like they were going to improve. His relationship with Rei had collapsed into disarray after the truths about her creation and just like with Misato he had no way to tell her how he felt. Hikari, Touji, and Kensuke while friends were not what he'd call confidants to whom he could open his heart since they hadn't the same experiences as him.  
  
So that had left Asuka, the traumatized girl who had at the end of the Angels wanted nothing to with him, and had in fact run farther than he had. But she was all he'd had left, and the sole person to whom he felt any kind of emotional connection with anymore. He had believed she was the only one who could comprehend what he was feeling, and the lone person he could possibly understand. Yet when she'd finally awoken from her slumber it had been anything but happiness for the two of them as accusations and apologies had flown between them. Yet somehow they'd reached an uneasy truce where they would tolerate the other for short periods of time. That had grown into his daily visits where, even if they didn't converse, the presence of the other was comforting showing that at least there was someone around who cared.  
  
"She was asking about you, wanting to know if she could come visit. Asuka," he gently squeezed her hand, "how long are you going to stay here?"  
  
"And how long are you going to keep running from Misato?" she retorted.  
  
He released her hand, and looked away from her eyes. "I don't know. I still care about her, but I don't know how to talk to her anymore."  
  
"That's the way it is with me. I don't know what to tell Hikari, or even where to begin." She chuckled, "As weird as others might find it, you're the only person I can talk to."  
  
Shinji blushed at the statement but didn't know how to reply, and as the silence grew he searched for something to break it. Spying the parcel laying on the table, he grabbed. "Umm, I got you those things you requested."  
  
"Oh."  
  
This time it was the redhead's turn to blush as she accepted the large bag printed with the logo of one of the prominent department stores in Tokyo-3. She hadn't really expected him to get anything for her and had been careful not to place any demands on him since their truce so as not to alienate him. But she reasoned that it was her fault for moaning about the lack of certain amenities caused by her hospitalization. Reaching into the bag, she pulled out some blue jeans, two pairs of shorts, a few T-shirts, and a couple of blouses setting them in a pile on the bed next to her.  
  
Smiling, she placed the last of the clothes on the bed. "You really didn't have to get me anything, you know."  
  
"I thought they'd make a nice gift." He coughed into his fist. "It wasn't a problem for me to buy them."  
  
"Thanks." She grinned suddenly at a thought. "I wish I could've been there, you never did like shopping."  
  
"That was because you always told me my opinion instead of asking for it. Besides...it wasn't as bad as you think." Shinji lost his smile and looked sad. "We still have all your intact clothes so I knew your old sizes, and so I bought that size and one bigger."  
  
"Thank you, and I do mean it, Shinji." Asuka fell silent and studied the new clothes, not knowing what to say. She looked up at hearing a whisper from the boy. "What did you say?"  
  
The teenager looked in embarrassment, but returned her gaze. "I asked if you'd decided whether you were going to pilot again."  
  
"I haven't decided yet, though I doubt I'm going to have a choice in the matter." She placed a blouse with a pair of pants. "It's not like your father released you from piloting so I don't think he's going to let me go. And with Rei not having an Evangelion to pilot that leaves me to get back up to standards. It sucks!"  
  
"Yeah," Shinji agreed. "I wish..."  
  
"Mister Ikari, wake up!"  
  
The dream ended abruptly and Shinji slowly opened his eyes, suppressing a groan, and saw a cute face of a stranger hovering over him. Coughing sent pain through his body when he tried taking a deep breath of the cold, dry air of the room, and only stopped when the stranger gave him a sip of water. Sticking with shallow breaths to reduce the chance of a repeat, he turned his attention to the woman waiting patiently next to his bed. That she was a nurse was a given, but it wasn't because of her uniform instead he had recognized the unique aroma of hospitals. Briefly, he wondered why he was in such a setting, but quickly remembered it was no longer 2016 and he wasn't visiting Asuka.  
  
The last thing he could coherently remember was collapsing against Asuka in Russia, but didn't know how long ago that had occurred. An increase of beeps from the heart monitor registered his horror at not knowing the location of the redhead, and he tried rising to go look. He wasn't able to accomplish much more than a few inches off the mattress before his body's weakness and a gentle hand forced him back prone. Shinji let himself relax when he realized SEELE wouldn't be caring about their health, or accomplishing anything by separating them. Yet before he could ask the nurse where the German woman was, she had moved to a curtain separating the room and drew it back to reveal the still form of Asuka.  
  
Keeping his head turned, Shinji remembered the last time he had seen the redhead so still and how he had told himself he'd do anything not to see her like that again. But there were some things he'd never have control over or be able to foresee, he thought while touching the bandage over his eye. For the time being, he'd have to rely upon their rescuers before learning why they wanted the two Evangelion pilots. Just like Asuka, he no longer trusted the motives others with the betrayal in Russia being the most recent example of what happened when they did. He stared up at the bare white ceiling of his room contemplating what would come next, and knowing he'd need to talk to his compatriot.  
  
- - - -  
  
Years ago, Touji would've laughed with Shinji if they had known their thoughts mirrored each other, but his current predicament prevented him from laughing. Looking up from the polished counter, he glared at the men seated around a couple tables in opposite corners of the restaurant. They had shown up a couple days after his family had been released as suddenly as they had been taken and had become permanent fixtures in the place. Trying to leave Tokyo-3 after their detaining had shown them the futility of trying to escape SEELE's city. Shaking his head, he returned to tallying the month's income and expenses even as the two tables emptied of the security personnel.  
  
The minute sound of cloth brushing against wood was his sole warning that someone was coming from the upstairs apartment as he locked the door. He smiled when he heard the sound of that person rummaging through the cabinets, knowing exactly who it was and why she had finally come downstairs. From years of practice, he quickly went through the usual routine of drawing the blinds and shutting off the electricity to the lights and outside signs. Except for the light coming from the kitchen, which was briefly blocked by a person as they exited, the dining area was plunged into darkness.  
  
"How bad is it, Touji?" Hikari asked in a weak voice. She brushed his hands away from the tray she was carrying and sat down at the counter. "I'm not that weak that I can't carry a simple tray and make you tea."  
  
"But..." He stopped at her glare, and swallowed before taking a seat next to his wife. A cough told him to hurry up as he ran a hand through his damp hair. "The good news is we're finally showing a profit again after so long. And it's because of those security goons."  
  
"What's the bad news?" She slid a large mug of green tea over to him with a small smile. In the last few months, she had become used to Touji trying to downplay things for her sake and she had been grateful, but now wasn't one of those times.  
  
Touji took the proffered tea and blew on it. "There is no bad news for once...just a decision to be made." He took a sip, and picked up the ledger with his free hand. "We can either finally put money back into the bank instead of taking it out, or we can pay off the last of the medical bills."  
  
Hikari contemplated that news, knowing what Touji was saying in regards to their financial situation, and he was leaving the decision to her. On one hand, they could put the money from the month's profit back in the bank thus rebuilding their account, or they could pay off their largest creditor. It wasn't an easy decision because so much could change in a short period of time; their detaining and her subsequent hospitalization had shown her that. She knew the logical decision would be to put it in the account and continue paying the hospital in monthly installments as they were doing. But she wanted to be done with the medical bills and the memories they brought forth every month from SEELE's experiments.  
  
"Do you hate them, Asuka and Shinji?" she asked, not looking at her husband.  
  
"No, I could never hate them. They're more victims of this than we are." Touji put his arm around his wife and pulled her closer. "We can at least have semblance of a normal life while they can't even settle down. Unless something changes..."  
  
With a quick kiss, Hikari silenced Touji before he could really get going about their friends, SEELE, and anything about the Evangelions. She knew she really shouldn't have asked him, having known his opinion since their first synchronization experiment years ago. But she had to ask in case something had changed this time because of her extended hospitalization, which had been longer than the other times. So it was with relief that she leaned up against him, knowing she wouldn't have to worry about pent up frustration on his part.  
  
"I'm glad that you don't hate them," she whispered.  
  
- - - -  
  
August 2023  
  
"And I want you to follow my orders this time, Miss Soryu!" The doctor glared at the redhead until she nodded reluctantly. "The reason your arm was going numb was because of scar tissue build up around the nerves in your shoulder. Which wouldn't have been there if you had followed my instructions to keep your arm and shoulder immobilized!"  
  
With determination, Asuka forced herself to pretend that she was listening when in fact she wanted to roll her eyes at the man. She knew why her shoulder had lost its range of motion and why her fingers would tingle, and she didn't need someone who sat in an office all day to reprimand her. Turning her head, she glanced at Shinji sitting nearby and smiled at seeing the glazed look in his eye as the doctor continued with his lecture. At least she wasn't the only one suffering, she thought wistfully, though she wished she had been first so she could be the sole person napping in the room. But wishful thinking had never gotten her anywhere, and dwelling on such a minor thing as who got to go first in listening to the doctor was beneath her.  
  
Glancing down, she wondered if someone had it in for her while she studied her injuries or at least the bandages and casts covering them. With her right arm immobilized across her chest and her left hand's fingers taped together, she had nothing on which to comfortably rest her chin. Temporarily losing the ability to do such a minor yet insignificant action shouldn't have troubled her, but it did for some odd reason. Or maybe it was something else she had lost in the last few days that troubled her, and instead of focusing on it she had redirected her attention.  
  
"Idiot, idiot, idiot," she whispered harshly, and looked up in surprise at a soft touch.  
  
Shinji gently squeezed her shoulder. "You called for me, Asuka."  
  
"No. And what about..." She answered her own partial question when she saw the doctor leaving. "Well that answer's that."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
With that said, she levered herself out the chair with some effort and made her way to a pair of ornate French doors, and exited. The doors opened onto a massive stone patio overlooking a manicured lawn while a lake or pond beckoned to her in the distance. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Shinji making his way to her side with a limp, giving away the fact he was wearing a knee brace. Wrapping her arm around his waist, she smiled when he copied her, and she slowly made her way to a set of steps then down them never quickening her pace. Glancing at the man at her side, she was about to ask if he wanted to go further, but he simply nodded before she could inquire.  
  
By the time they reached the lakeshore both Evangelion pilots were sweating, and collapsed to the ground leaning against each other. As she caught her breath, Asuka knew she shouldn't punish her body so soon after major surgery, which had occurred just a week earlier. And by the way Shinji was breathing, she knew he was suffering more than she was having received more injuries, and that it was unfair of her to have dragged him out with her. But she felt claustrophobic in the large house, which they had moved into mere hours earlier after leaving the hospital.  
  
"So are you impressed with the quality of our prison?" she asked, her breathing normal once again.  
  
Shinji rested on the cool grass. "I wouldn't exactly call it a prison."  
  
"Than what would you call it? A country inn! A stately mansion!"  
  
"A stately mansion fits nicely with what they've given us. Ow!" He sat up and glared at the redhead. "What was that for?"  
  
Asuka returned the glare with a vengeance not believing how he was acting. "Be serious. Do you actually believe they're going to let us leave after they've gone through so much trouble to save us?" She tried jabbing him in the chest but failed. "And do you think they don't have plans of their own involving us?"  
  
"I know all of that," he chided the woman. "Of course, you're right that we're not going to be allowed to leave. And yes, I do believe they want us for something." Carefully, he shifted around until he was in front of her. "But what can we do about it in our condition?"  
  
"Nothing." She shivered as his breath caressed her skin. "But I hate..."  
  
"Being helpless," he finished. "Yet for the time being we'll be model prisoners, gathering any useful information to aid us."  
  
- - - -  
  
"It's really a shame they think that. Don't you agree, Colonel Pokryshin?"  
  
The larger man studied the screen. "Well they are correct, sir. You do have plans for them."  
  
"But by helping me they help themselves."  
  
"True." With a flick the monitor turned black. "What are your orders?"  
  
"They haven't changed. We'll allow Mister Ikari and Miss Soryu some time to recover and dwell on their situation, but won't confine them."  
  
"So you've told the staff..."  
  
"The pilots are to be allowed to go where they want in town, but a security detail will guarantee they return."  
  
- - - -  
  
With a groan Shinji turned the television off, and flopped backward to stare at the ceiling of their bedroom. There were close to three hundred channels available by satellite and he couldn't find a single thing that interested him. But it didn't surprise him since television had been an extremely low priority during the last seven years of evading capture. Yet he had garnered some information during his time channel surfing and times in town, though he didn't know how useful it would be. Still it was better than going into whatever awaited them in the future blind and at the mercy of their captors/rescuers. And he knew that he was avoiding confrontation with the main issue, which didn't involve their current situation.  
  
His eyes drifted over toward the open door of the bathroom into which Asuka had disappeared. And from where quiet curses had been coming. The German curses reassured him since they told him the redhead's stubbornness and pride still survived her predicament. If she called for assistance he'd readily give it knowing he needed her help in return, but that wasn't what worried him. What twisted his guts was how they'd been pushing their relationship closer to the next stage. It wasn't that he was scared of it, after all he wasn't the lonely teen when they'd first met. It was just that...  
  
"What are you thinking?"  
  
The redhead was standing in the doorway, and the way she was tapping her foot alerted him. "Nothing!"  
  
She grinned and strolled over to the bed. "Then why is your face red? Are you thinking perverted things to do to my body?"  
  
"Asuka!"  
  
"So that's why you didn't hear me calling your name," she said with an indignant look.  
  
He sat up and crossed his arms. "Did you need something?"  
  
"Are you blind, idiot?"  
  
Shinji let his eyes travel over the shapely redhead taking in every detail, and slowly grinned at what he saw. That she had been able to get her intimate apparel and dark blue skirt on without ripping them was quite an accomplishment. Her white blouse hadn't faired as well against her temper with several buttons missing from the expensive garment. His grin disappeared when he glanced at her left hand, which was lightly resting on his leg, noting the deformities of her fingers. Their rescuers' surgeons had done their best, but she'd never regain her old dexterity. Carefully he removed her hand and stood up, wincing as his own healing body protested his movements, and made his way to the closet.  
  
"So what do you think of the dinner invitation?" he asked as he pulled out a shirt, but quickly replaced it. "Wrong color?"  
  
"Yeah." Asuka stood and walked to where he was, and leaned against the wall. "As for dinner it's strange they want to have it in our house."  
  
"It's their house," he gently reminded her. "And it's probably a matter of convenience for them to come to us."  
  
"Or humility. They want to show us that we're all on equal ground." She reached in and pulled out a peach colored blouse. "But dinner isn't important, it's what they say that counts."  
  
- - - - -  
  
Asuka really wished her earlier statement had been more accurate as she finished the dessert portion of the seven-course meal. But conversation had been limited after the introduction of their host and his guests, and it irritated her. She had been anticipating a barrage of questions and had even prepared her own. All her preparations had been for naught she concluded while their host sat patiently waiting for the servants to depart. Glancing across the table, she felt some of her tension and irritation leave at seeing Shinji's face, which was a mirror copy of her own. The redhead counted her blessings that she had decided to come unarmed as she turned her attention back to the man at the head of the table.  
  
When she had walked through the doors of the dining room and been confronted with the visage of her enemy, she had reflexively reached for a weapon. It hadn't helped her already strained disposition to learn the man retained the same surname as SEELE's chairman. But she had followed Shinji's example and lead, and had been civil throughout the decadent meal, even going so far as to talk to the man. Yet now that the corporeal dinner was over, she hungered for a different type of sustenance. And she wasn't going to be distracted from asking the questions she'd been prepared to ask during the meal, no matter how congeal their host was being.  
  
"Mister Lorenz, I was wondering if you'd be able to..." she began before an upraised hand stopped her.  
  
"Please be patient a little longer, Miss Soryu," he responded with a strong but ancient voice. "Whatever questions you have will be answered in due time."  
  
"I think we've waited long enough!" she retorted, half rising out of her chair.  
  
"Asuka!"  
  
Glowering at Shinji, she waited for him to back down, but instead found herself breaking contact when he didn't retreat. It wasn't the first time in their history he'd raised his voice to her, but she still felt betrayed by her compatriot. She had expected that he'd stick by her side in this debate, after all they both wanted answers to the same questions. Shaking her head, Asuka couldn't believe the path she was taking with her current line thinking because of a little disagreement. Looking up, she gave Shinji a smile, which conveyed a silent message telling him that she'd be good for the moment.  
  
"Yosuke Watabe, would you be so kind as to escort our guests to the library.  
  
- - - -  
  
"I never thought to see you again," Shinji told Yosuke when they reached the library.  
  
"I wish I could say the say the same, but we were never to meet." He walked over to a small cart, and poured himself a drink. "You two don't realize how much time and effort you destroyed by going on your little vendetta. All you had to do was tough it out for another six months."  
  
"You make it sound so easy!" snapped Asuka. "Just sit around for six months hoping nobody recognizes you on the street. Or cower in a small apartment hoping the next group of hunters hasn't tracked you down!" She stalked over to where Yosuke stood. "Or better yet, hoping that you don't have to watch a person you care about suffer through another wounding."  
  
"Forty good men died because of you!"  
  
"And just like you they knew the risks."  
  
The trio turned to see their host and boss' chair silently gliding through the open doors and into the room. Two men followed slightly behind him, one pulling the doors closed while the other headed for a row of equipment. Asuka backed away from Yosuke when the chair pushed between them and glared at the old man. But the old man simply shrugged it off with a smile as he mixed himself a strong drink.  
  
"Yosuke is correct that if you had waited a little longer everything would've been completed a year ago, and I wish you had but..." He gestured to two leather chairs. "I'm sure you'd be more comfortable sitting than standing since this might take some time."  
  
Shinji lightly touched Asuka's hand and nodded when she looked at him, and received one in response. Pulling the chairs closer, he sat on the redhead's injured left side out of instinct and a need to protect her. He mentally smiled at that thought, though he knew she wouldn't be mad at him for thinking that he needed to protect her. Glancing at her face, he also knew her patience was growing thinner with each moment. And just like her, he needed to know what was going on, but just didn't show it as much.  
  
"If you're thinking of where to begin your tale, how about start from the beginning," Asuka said after several moments of silence.  
  
The man chuckled. "That would take more time then you're willing to sit through, Miss Soryu."  
  
"How about the condensed version?" Shinji answered for her.  
  
"The condensed version is that we're here to prevent Third Impact and destroy SEELE." The man paused for their reaction.  
  
Asuka nodded. "We already knew that, so it's no shock to us. But what we've never understood is why us? And why is SEELE so desperate to initiate Third Impact?"  
  
"As you know there are two ways of initiating Third Impact: the first being an Angel merging with Adam, and the second being the joining of two human souls by the Lance," he told them.  
  
"So what was my father trying to accomplish?" Shinji inquired.  
  
"He was trying to fulfill a prophecy made up by me."  
  
"And why would Gendo willingly follow a false prophecy?" Asuka asked with disbelief. "He may have been obsessed, but not stupid."  
  
"Because I put them in the original translations and findings almost fifty years ago. And since the interpretations have never fully been understood...well." He leaned forward smiling, and raised a hand as Asuka prepared to speak. "How would I be able to do that? Quite easily, Miss Soryu."  
  
"I was once a member of SEELE. In fact, I was the second ranking member next to my twin brother and had access to everything. I fully believed that we could guide human beings to a higher state of existence, and in the process gain immortality for all of humanity." He took a long drink from his glass and his voice was subdued. "But one day immortality no longer appealed to me. I realized that death wasn't something to be scared of, and that's what SEELE doesn't understand. Nothing lasts forever. Everything will cease to exist at some point in time, even the universe."  
  
"That's it?" Asuka asked incredulously when silence took over. "All this suffering and pain has been over some old guys wish to become immortal because they're afraid of dying!"  
  
"Immortality is a big lure, Asuka. Especially when there is no hook of having to believe in or worship a god because you would be one." Shinji leaned forward and stared into her eyes. "I know I don't want to die, and I know that you don't want to die, but..."  
  
"But what are you willing to give up for immortality," interrupted Abel. "Instrumentality does have its price."  
  
Asuka narrowed her eyes at the man, wondering what else the man had hidden up his sleeve. The thought of becoming immortal was tempting, and she had daydreamed about it before. But she had woken from that dream and realized that it was stupid to want immortality, especially if it included everyone else. Besides she was curious to know what someone had to give up for immortality, after all Gendo had never said anything on his disc.  
  
"What are they?" she asked.  
  
"There are only two prices to be paid for immortality." He held a finger. "The first is the loss of your physical body by the lowering of your AT-Field."  
  
Shinji trembled, remembering what Kaoru had told him. "And the second price?"  
  
"Your individuality. All of humanity would essentially become one being and one mind." Abel leaned back, his glass empty. "For never having to feel pain or loneliness again, you have to sacrifice what makes you you."  
  
Shinji thought he was going to be sick as he heard what people would have to give up for SEELE's dreams. He looked at Asuka trying to imagine what it would be like to never hold her in his arms, to never able to kiss her again. Without pain he would never be able to experience happiness with her. Anger raged as he thought of the sorrow of slowly forgetting her face, all of his memories lost as his soul was absorbed. Death was much kinder, he realized as his fingers closed around Asuka's hand.  
  
"What do you want us to do?"  
  
Abel Lorenz nodded to the man who'd gone to a bank of equipment. The man smiled and pressed a couple keys, bringing everything to life. On the far wall an image was projected that caused the pilots to recoil in shock and disgust. A couple more pictures were displayed around the central image for the pilots' benefit. The man walked from the computers to gaze idly at the image before turning his eyes to the pilots.  
  
"We want you to steal this," he calmly stated.  
  
This was clearly an Evangelion, but one with a design they'd never seen. Missing were the shoulder fins of NERV's Evangelions to be replaced with what were labeled wings, which was insane Shinji thought. The mechanical heads of Asuka and Shinji's units had been discarded for a more organic look. In fact, the redhead thought it looked like a repulsive with no eyes and a large mouth. The progressive knives and energy and projectile weapons they'd used against the Angels were gone instead the unit mounted a single massive double-bladed armament. And the biggest surprise was the inclusion of a Super Solenoid Engine, something only Unit 01 had.  
  
"What good will stealing one of those do?" Asuka asked after a couple minutes of study.  
  
"My brother and his council are becoming more skittish with each successful assassination. If you steal a Mass Produced Evangelion it will push them over the edge." Abel Kihl stopped in front of the pilots. "They will demand that they be allowed to take up residence in the GeoFront, a place they believe to be impenetrable."  
  
"And once they are all together we can finish them in one strike," Shinji interjected. "But you have no guarantee that they'll do as you predict."  
  
"Correct. But my infiltrators inform me that the members are worried about their safety, and a covert raid could be just what is needed." He spread his hands. "Both of you know that most things are subject to chance. As Mister Ikari has pointed out there is no guarantee about anything except death, and SEELE could even deny that."  
  
Shinji nodded at that. "So what happens if we agree."  
  
"We have a small facility nearby where we can recreate your combined synchronization profiles. As for why we need a combined profile, our analysis indicates it will take both of you working in tandem to control the Evangelion," explained the scientist of the group.  
  
"When do we begin?" Shinji asked, not looking at Asuka.  
  
"I'm glad that you agreed," Abel answered while moving toward the doors. "We can begin as soon as Doctor Kemp tells us."  
  
"We could begin tomorrow, sir."  
  
"Good. Please get a good night's rest Mister Ikari and Miss Soryu since we need you rested."  
  
"Not so fast, Mister Kihl." Asuka smiled thinly when he turned to look at her. "There are a few things to be cleared up before we start."  
  
"But..."  
  
"You do have a good sales pitch, but the sale hasn't been completed," Shinji continued. "There are a couple matters that need to be addressed first."  
  
"We'll start with a simple one." Asuka's voice was ice. "What happened in Russia? What did you do that made Kenji betray us to SEELE?"  
  
"I didn't betray Kenji nor did I order anyone under my command to injure him. Sadly, he was picked up where there were no nearby operatives to rescue him. By the time we got to him, it was too late." The old man didn't meet their eyes instead staring out the window. "It was all a miscommunication, and you paid for it."  
  
"Yes, we did pay for it." Shinji's own voice was flat. "My father also had a way of dealing with people that he no longer had a use for. I'm not sure about this miscommunication, or perhaps you have a traitor."  
  
"Don't be a fool!" snapped Abel. "In this organization everyone has to trust each other, or we'll fall apart and SEELE will win! The number of people who knew about you being in Russia was less than five. How our cells are set up ensures no one else could've known about you."  
  
"So how did you track us over the years?" wondered Asuka.  
  
"Both of you had equipment surgically implanted back at NERV. Only when it receives a coded pulse does it respond and then only long enough to send a signal. And the number of people with access to that knowledge is just Colonel Pokryshin and myself."  
  
Shinji looked at his compatriot, who slowly nodded. "Next topic for discussion." He leaned forward and stared at the man. "Why haven't they cloned us, or used people from our class?"  
  
"They have on both parts and with dire consequences." He wheeled himself back to the cart containing the alcohol. "The clones either died instantly or had to be destroyed because of insanity from their first try at synchronizing with your Evangelions. But with each experiment SEELE is getting better with their cloning techniques."  
  
At hearing her genetic material had been used to make a clone of herself and that her copies had been destroyed Asuka swallowed, but it wasn't because of that. She was worried about Hikari and what might have happened to her in SEELE's cruel experiments. The redhead wouldn't be able to live with herself if she had caused her friend to die, or worse become insane because of her mother's rejection of Hikari. She also knew that Shinji would be worried about Touji, especially since he had briefly been a pilot. After all, their friends' close relationship would've singled them out to be the first test candidates from the class.  
  
"And our classmates?"  
  
"The same," he answered. "No one has been able to synchronize with either of your Evangelions. None have died from the rejections, but a few had to be hospitalized after the experiment."  
  
"Was Hikari one of those people?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
- - - -  
  
Asuka sat on a narrow bench outside the test facility letting the setting sun wash over her. She grimaced after running a hand through her hair sticky with LCL but didn't have the energy for anything else. Instead she simply wished that she could massage her brain in some way. Four hours of intense physical training followed by five hours of sitting in a test plug had exhausted her, and Shinji. She wanted to be angry with herself for being so weak, but couldn't gather the will to do that. It had been years since she'd stepped into an entry plug and she'd forgotten how mentally challenging it was. All she wanted to do was go home and climb into the soft bed with Shinji. The sound of door closing broke her train of thought, and she looked up as someone stepped out.  
  
"I'm sorry for being late."  
  
Shaking her head, the redhead stood up and ran a critical eye over her companion. He looked like she felt with his body almost sagging while his hair was in disarray. Not only that but his eyes told her how truly exhausted he was, and that both of them were ready to drop. Turning, she started down the path back to their living quarters and heard him follow. She didn't react when he took her hand in his except to curl her fingers.  
  
"I don't remember it being so hard," she told him. "And it's been a month already!"  
  
"We haven't done it for years," he quietly retorted.  
  
She clenched her hands but relaxed them at his hiss of pain. "That's not it! It should be like riding a bike, something you don't forget. After all, you did it for six months and I did it for almost eight years!"  
  
"Asuka..."  
  
"What!"  
  
Shinji looked at her face with its combination of pain and anger, and swallowed. He couldn't tell her that it wasn't like she described, that it couldn't be that simple. Also he didn't want to remind her about the time when she had lost her ability to pilot Unit 02. He especially didn't want to do it after they had finally broken 60 percent synchronization with the dummy unit. So instead of speaking about what was bothering him, he did what he had done in the past.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Asuka narrowed her eyes, but didn't press the issue. "I'll let it go this time, Shinji."  
  
He nodded, and they continued their journey in silence, which had become the norm after the first week. By the time they had covered the distance between the test facility and their house the last remnants of light had disappeared. They both stood in front of the door, neither wanting to let go of the other's hand but knowing they would have to in order to get inside. So Shinji turned to Asuka, and was glad the darkness hid his embarrassment.  
  
"I was thinking..."  
  
"I wouldn't after what we just went through." She grinned impishly, but leaned closer.  
  
"Funny," he shot back. "Seriously, I was thinking that I could cook us something special instead of the cook."  
  
"A romantic dinner for two sounds good," she purred her free hand massaging his chest. "And then afterward we could do something fun."  
  
Shinji opened his mouth, but closed it with a snap. "I would like that." He pulled her against him. "I mean..."  
  
"You turn your back for a few years and look what your best friend does! He falls in love with the enemy!"  
  
- - - -  
  
Asuka brought the chef knife down with clenched jaw and not for the first time pretended she was severing the Stooge's neck. She wanted to scream in frustration at the horrible timing of everything in her life. Since going into hiding with Shinji, she had broached a subject they'd both avoided for so long and he hadn't protested. With another blow, she imagined she'd just cut off another piece of Touji's anatomy for his comment. But while she was incensed with the idiot's presence, she was also exhilarated at the same time.  
  
"So are you two...in love?" Hikari asked from her place at the stove.  
  
The redhead felt her cheeks heat up and she carefully placed the knife down. She had been expecting that question ever since Hikari and Touji had opened the door on them. Of course, they'd talked about a few other things after Hikari had suggested that she help make dinner for everyone. That the brunette had waited so long to ask attested to her patience, and need not to embarrass her friend any further.  
  
"Um...well...you see." Asuka took a deep breath. "Yes."  
  
Hikari smothered the redhead in hug. "I'm so happy for the two of you!"  
  
"Please, let go." She leaned against the counter after she'd been released. "Yes, we love each other. It's just that..."  
  
"Just what?"  
  
"It's just that I wish it'd been under better conditions." Asuka walked over to a chair and sat down. "Having a bounty on your head, being stabbed or shot multiple times, enduring the weather, missing meals for long periods. No girl dreams that would be how she'd fall in love, especially me. I never wanted to fall in love with anyone."  
  
Hikari walked over to her friend and squatted down. "You think it's not real love?"  
  
"No!" Asuka shook her head. "It's real and not because we were forced together. It's hard to describe, you know." Her hands wouldn't remain still as she talked. "We made an agreement way back because we had been forced together and we didn't want to regret anything in the future. But since we started...our vendetta it's changed."  
  
"So what's eating you up?" Hikari asked slyly.  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
"If you say so." Hikari moved to Asuka's area and surveyed the damage. "Why don't you just let me do the cooking for now?"  
  
"I can help!" The redhead shot to her feet.  
  
Hikari lifted an example from the cutting board. "I said small bite- sized pieces not chunks. Maybe I should've asked Shinji to help."  
  
"Yeah, right." Asuka snorted crossing to the refrigerator. "He wouldn't be any better than me."  
  
"He was always cooking before."  
  
"Things change in life." She paused as she reached for a can. "I'm sorry, Hikari."  
  
The brunette looked at her friend. "For what?"  
  
"For mama."  
  
- - - -  
  
"You're pissed at me, aren't you?"  
  
Shinji stopped from setting the table and looked up to stare at Touji. His old friend was having a hard time keeping his children under control. But he could tell the former jock was giving him his full attention and waiting for an answer. Shaking his head, Shinji put what he was carrying down on the table.  
  
"No, I'm not mad at you," he answered, which caused his friend to laugh.  
  
"Right. Look I'm sorry for the comment about Asuka." He reached out and snagged one of his daughters.  
  
This time it was Shinji's turn to laugh. "It's not that. Besides we both knew you didn't mean anything by it."  
  
"So why aren't you talking?"  
  
"Just been thinking about something."  
  
Touji noticed Shinji's embarrassment. "Masami, Chisato go annoy your mom and Asuka in the kitchen."  
  
Shinji watched the two girls tear out of the informal dining room, squealing in delight at their freedom. He smiled as he heard a shout come from one of women cooking. That smile disappeared when he turned around and saw that Touji had sat down, his arms resting on the back of the chair. Dread rose up inside as he saw the knowing smile plastered on his friend's face.  
  
"You're not mad at me," he began. "And you don't care about what I said about Asuka. Not only that, you've barely said anything except to say that you're thinking."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Shinji shouted, but his friend kept going.  
  
"Then there was the scene that we interrupted." Touji frowned and pretended to think hard. "And given how you two were holding each other."  
  
"Will you be quiet!"  
  
This only caused Touji to laugh. "Come on, Shinji. You're twenty-two years old and have done more than anyone I know during that time." He rose and walked over to the Evangelion pilot, draping an arm around his shoulders. "You shouldn't be embarrassed about your love life. I mean..."  
  
"Just drop it, Touji!" Shinji snapped, shaking off his friend's arm.  
  
The former jock slowly walked back to his chair and fell limply into it. He quietly studied the carpet for a few moments before raising his head. Hikari had once told him that he'd annoy someone important sooner or later if he didn't learn how to be more diplomatic. Shinji's eyes were cold and hard as they bored into his own and he knew that he had made a mistake with his friend. All he had wanted was to joke around with Shinji and maybe lighten up the mood. After all, he had been making comments about the duo for some time.  
  
"You've spent too much time around Asuka. You weren't so prickly back in junior high school." Touji sadly shook his head. "It's quite pathetic you know?"  
  
Shinji smirked at the comment. "It was slightly fun and embarrassing when you used to call us newlyweds. Then it became irritating just before NERV's fall and our escape." He glared at his friend. "But now it is just plain childish. Asuka would tell you to grow up and I would agree with her."  
  
"That..."  
  
"Our relationship has never been smooth throughout the years. Yet we're slowly working things out and finally talking about maybe having a family in the future," Shinji explained. "And the last thing both of us needs is someone close sticking their nose where it doesn't belong."  
  
It had always seemed that Asuka knew when he or Kensuke was talking about her and would show up out of no where. So Touji glanced over his shoulder and was relieved that no one was standing behind him with her arms crossed. Shinji was slightly scary at the moment and the last thing he needed was for a certain redhead to overhear the conversation. He relaxed even further when he heard voices drifting from the kitchen, which reassured him that he was safe.  
  
"Fine, I understand what you're saying." He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Damn. I knew that wasn't what I wanted to talk about tonight. It was just too good of setup to tease you."  
  
"You're not making any sense. Plus you're approaching that line again, Touji," Shinji growled.  
  
"Sorry, it's just I remembered something that I never told you about."  
  
The former Third Child rolled his eyes and waited for his friend to get to the point. It had always been the opposite in school where he spoke without thinking, just like Asuka. This staggering from subject to subject, besides being confusing, was not like him in so many ways. But it didn't really annoy Shinji, and despite Touji's comment about him being prickly he still had a lot of patient. That reserve was needed for dealing with SEELE, their allies, and Asuka at various times.  
  
"We were snatched out of Tokyo-3 so fast that we didn't have time to pack anything," Touji explained. "And if we had known we were going to meet up with you two we'd brought some of your stuff."  
  
"What!" Shinji shot to his feet. "Our stuff?"  
  
"Yeah. When Asuka and you disappeared from Tokyo-3, Hikari and me went to Misato's apartment a couple weeks later. The place had been ransacked, but a few things were still intact." Touji bowed his head at the memories. "We gathered all the pictures we could find just in case we were ever reunited. Also we saved anything that might have been important to the two of you."  
  
"My mother's cello?" Shinji whispered.  
  
"Your cello is safe with Asuka's violin." He avoided looking at his friend. "Whoever knew that she'd play such a delicate instrument?"  
  
"Don't say that about her," Shinji chided. "She's far more gentle than you could imagine."  
  
"Yeah, I can't imagine that about her. Anyway, like I said we gathered up as much stuff as we could. Tapes, pictures, diaries, and even clothes are in storage back at our home. We even got a lot of Misato's possessions just in case..." He shook head. "We would've brought some if we had only known, sorry."  
  
"What's the matter, Shinji?"  
  
Touji jumped in his seat at hearing the redhead's voice, but was even more shocked at what he saw. He really didn't believe that Asuka was gentle inside despite Shinji's claim. Sure he'd believe that she could be nice every now and then to the young man, but his opinion changed. She strode past him without acknowledging him and went straight to Shinji and gently took his hands. His jaw dropped when they kissed, ignoring the fact he was still in the room. When they finally parted Shinji wrapped his arms around the young woman and rested his head against her.  
  
"Everything, Asuka."  
  
- - - -  
  
The redhead groaned and pulled the comforter over her head in a vain attempt at blocking the incoming sun. But given where they were, it was too thin to do the job and so she squeezed her eyes hard until they hurt. Finally giving in to the reality that nature wasn't going to let her sleep any longer she opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw who was resting next to her, though the night before was still fuzzy.  
  
They had spent dinner with Hikari and Touji before excusing themselves and retreating to their room. Hours had passed as they had held one another and talked about everything but what was coming up. Once they had finished talking, the couple had moved to their bed shedding clothes in the process. But as her eyes locked onto two uniforms, she knew why they had simply talked, and nothing more. Curling up against Shinji's body, she rested her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat.  
  
She had to credit Abel for being a scheming and crafty bastard with his manipulating of their emotions. Hikari and Touji's presence was anything but a charitable act on his part. After their reunion with their friends, Shinji and her synchronization scores had steadily climbed. They had finally broke the magically percentage for piloting the Mass Produced Evangelion and had held it for over three weeks. That afternoon they would be shuttled, with an assault team, to the private airfield and airlifted to the SEELE base half a world away. After that everything would rest on their shoulders and Fate's fickleness.  
  
Asuka shook at that thought and responsibility, trying not to imagine what would happen if they screwed up. But she already knew what their contingency plans were if they were about to be captured. They had done it in Russia and were only alive because they had forgotten about the body armor they had worn. She wondered if she would be capable of putting a round through Shinji's head if they found themselves in such a situation again. Before she could continue down that path, a hand snaked slid along her thigh, causing her to squeal.  
  
"You pervert!" she screamed with a smile at the touch.  
  
Shinji returned the smile and then grunted when she rolled on top of him, her hands on either side of his head. His smile widened as he stared into her sky-blue eyes, which were dancing with happiness and humor. Still feeling mischievous, he let his fingers dance along her ribs getting her to laugh and scowl at him. As her giggling died, he slowly raised himself up on his elbows until he was inches from her.  
  
"May I?" he asked.  
  
Her eyes lost some her happiness. "You never have to ask."  
  
With that, she closed the remaining distance and pressed her lips against his, kissing him hard. She moaned when he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. As their kiss intensified and their bodies heated up, Asuka felt something. Tears trickled down her cheeks when she realized what it was. All the other times had been simply practice as they worked their way to their current kiss. Gently, she broke the kiss, a string of saliva briefly connecting them.  
  
"I love you, Shinji," she whispered. "Oh god, do I love you."  
  
He stroked her cheek. "I love you too, Asuka."  
  
"What's the matter?" she asked when he didn't lower his hand.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Asuka shook her head. "I don't believe you. Now tell me what's the problem?"  
  
"Are you mad or disappointed that we haven't..."  
  
"Listen carefully, idiot," she whispered. "We have been together for eight years and been on the run for six of those years. Another six or so months isn't going to make a difference to either of us."  
  
"Oh, I was just thinking..."  
  
"No, you weren't thinking. Now be quiet."  
  
Asuka idly traced a scar across his chest, the first one he had received on their journey. She had been expecting Shinji to say something about that subject or ask her opinion, especially after her comment a few weeks back. After all, it'd be pretty pathetic of her if she wasn't able to get inside his head after so long.  
  
Besides she wanted to wait until there was nothing hanging over their heads when they finally crossed that line. No missions, no bounty hunters, no worrying about whether it was stress causing them to act a certain way. All she wanted was what everyone else in the world had at that time. Nothing more or less would satisfy her in that moment.  
  
"I wonder what our children will be like," she murmured.  
  
Shinji tensed, but smiled. "Don't really know. After all, I'm nothing like my father. And I'm not sure, but you're probably nothing like your mother."  
  
"I was talking about their looks," she retorted, propping herself up on an elbow.  
  
He brushed some silky auburn hair over a bare shoulder.  
  
"They'll be cute."  
  
- - - -  
  
"Nervous."  
  
Both Evangelion pilots looked up from their places beneath the transport plane's wing to spot Hikari and Touji. Their friends stopped in front of the duo and stood there quietly. Neither pair knew what to say though each had so much to say to the others. Asuka finally stood and helped Shinji to his feet before they both grabbed a rucksack off the concrete. The redhead flinched when Touji held out his hand, a chain and ring dangling from it.  
  
"It was my mother's, and my sister had this all the time during her recovery," he told them. "She kept it when she got into junior high school before giving it to us. She told me that it had given her good luck and that we'd need all we could get in raising Masami and Chisato."  
  
"Touji..."  
  
"Take it!" he barked. "You two are going into the fucking lion's den! You're going to need all the luck you can get to get out alive." He angrily wiped at his tears. "And you better come back alive!"  
  
A shout came from the transport's open door moments before the engines began to spool up. The redhead glanced at the plane and the man at the door before looking at Touji. Grabbing the necklace, she slipped it over her head before tightly hugging Hikari. Shinji pulled his friend into a similar but brief hug before each separated. With one last glance back, the pair raced for the door while their friends moved back into the hangar. Hikari buried her face in Touji's chest crying as the plane moved down the runway. It was only when the sound of its screaming engines died away that she looked up.  
  
"They'll be back, honey."  
  
* * * *  
  
Well was it good enough for you? Originally, I had Shinji doing a lot more explaining to Touji about his relationship with Asuka. But Weltall said it didn't work and I took it out, but for another reason. It was another speech, something I'm famous for in my writing. So I took it out and replaced it with the current conversation. Besides Asuka sums up their reasoning for not doing it the best near the end of the story.  
  
Also I know there are holes in Abel's explanation of things concerning SEELE, Instrumentality, and other things. Those holes will be plugged in the next chapters. Or I could be like the producers and leave them unanswered.  
  
Anyway, tell me what you think: eva_pilot9@doramil.com 


End file.
